Did you know that children as young as two years old can start learning about engineering? At this age, their brain to knowledge is like a sponge is to water.
Children are curious learners. When exposed to engineering subjects that encourage creativity, critical thinking, hands-on learning, and experimentation, it helps them construct a strong learning foundation and boost their intelligence.
Benefits of early exposure to engineering for children
In an engineering class, the engineering design processes will encourage children to develop reasoning and executive functioning skills. This is very helpful for small children who are just starting to learn how to make informed decisions.
Engineering activities are also designed to help children practice their motor skills and learn how to communicate their ideas. They not only learn how to build or tinker, but they also learn how to solve problems and support their decisions or choices.
Engineering subjects are also found to help children pick up school readiness. It is perfectly normal for children to feel frustrated and possessive when they first start school. But children who have been exposed to engineering subjects are said to have shown more maturity and empathy. This is mainly because engineering subjects promote social and emotional learning by encouraging children to work in teams and share their ideas.
Ways to introduce engineering to your child
1) Explain to them what engineering is
Your child may have heard of the term engineering before and they may perceive it as a difficult subject. But “engineering” is a very broad term. An engineer is someone who designs, builds, or maintains structures, machines, engines, and even the environment. Have them watch fun kid-friendly videos explaining what engineering is and explain to them in greater detail some of the things that were built by engineers.
Try showing this video explaining what it means to be an engineer to your child!
2) Introduce them to the different types of engineering
There are many types of engineering. But some of the famous ones are mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental, and civil engineering. Introduce the different types of engineering to your child, one by one, by informing them what that particular type of engineering is about and what the engineers in that field do.
Here’s a fun video that your child can sing along to as they learn the different types of engineers!
3) Explain the engineering design process
Help your child understand how basic engineering processes work. This will give them an overview of how engineers solve problems and hopefully further pique their interest in the field of engineering. Of course, it helps to find a fun video or book that can help you explain the process to them!
4) Find out what topic excites them
As you explain to your child what engineering is and the different types of engineering, try to see which concept sticks with them the most. You can also ask them which engineering field grabs their attention and find out why they find it interesting.
5) Try out engineering activities at home together with your child
There are so many fun engineering activities that you can do at home with your child! You can refer to our previous articles here and here to get some ideas. These fun activities will surely increase your child’s interest in the field of engineering.
It’s never too early to start introducing your child to engineering, or more specifically, the STEM subjects. Your child is at the perfect age for them to absorb any new knowledge you can give them. And as a parent, if you want to boost your child’s interest in the field of engineering, you can always try the five methods mentioned above! Or the better option is to register your child for our enrichment programmes and have our professionals do it for you. For more information about our enrichment programmes, get in touch with us now or email us at admin@youngengineers.sg.