5 Fun Design + Construct Projects for Kids

by SweisKloss
June 10, 2020

I knew at the age of nine that I wanted to design homes. Jeff knew he wanted to be a builder when he was young; he was fascinated with taking apart and rebuilding things. So encouraging creativity early on with our children was really important to us. If you have an aspiring architect, designer, or builder in your family or group of friends, here are some fun projects for hands-on design + construct. These types of projects are not only enjoyable but promote conceptualizing, problem solving, dexterity, and perseverance.

To help with construction, we advocate for eco-friendly craft supplies, which are easy to find at local art stores or online. Click here for a great list of supplies. You can also find sustainable supplies by clicking here.

3-D Cardboard and Paper Models: Here is the perfect way to use up those shipping boxes before they fill up the recycle bin. In addition to the cardboard, use scraps of old printouts at your home office, newspapers, and magazines to add to the interior or exterior of these models. And when you go on that family walk, pick up found objects such as pebbles, foliage and sticks to add to the landscape. Encourage kids to design their own custom structure. For instructions for the project seen below, click here.

Inspiration / Mood Boards: A mood board is essentially a collage of ideas. This is a fun way to visualize anything but is especially useful for interior design. Add paint swatches (they are free at hardware and paint stores), sketches, images, fabric samples, and anything else to convey a concept. Have your child pick out themes that interest them. What would their dream bedroom look like? If they owned a restaurant, how would they decorate it? What about a tree house or a rocket ship?

Kids Architect Scale Model Building Kits: I am a fan of Arckit building kits, which was developed by architect Damien Murtagh. He wanted to open up the world of architecture to everyone to help develop fundamental design skills and spontaneous creativity. Archkit models are great for STEM learning, and the kits range from the more simple geared toward ages 4-10 to more complex for older children and adults. The pieces are reusable and can be combined in various ways. You can find Arckit models by clicking here or clicking here.

Wall Art: Kids love to draw so turn their drawings into framed artwork. Scribbling could look like modern art. More accomplished drawings could be a beautiful series, maybe all done in black and white. Or play with the colors and print on oversized colored paper. Let the kids help with picking out frames and designing the display. They will love the attention given to their works of art. For more creative tips, click here.

Origami Furniture: Origami requires very little; beautiful paper and a diagram is all you need. This art form helps with hand skills and shows how something 2-D turns into something 3-D. And now, your kids have some furniture to place inside their scaled model homes and buildings. For info on this fold-up playhouse with origami furniture, click here.