Can you create something no one has ever made before? Books are inspiring for so many reasons. I love books because they take me places I would never get to go otherwise. (And with ebooks, I can take them anywhere I go!) But I also love them because they inspire me to think of new questions and new answers. Here are some ebooks and fun design challenges that might inspire you to make something new and amazing.
Trains move all kinds of things in specialized cars. Design a train car that could safely transport a dinosaur! Learn more about different kinds of trains in Trains by Mary Lindeen.
Engineers make plans before they start to build their ideas. Design plans for your perfect airplane, and then build and see if it actually flies! Take a cue from Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and don’t be discouraged if you have to change your plans a few times to get it right!
Design an obstacle course for paper airplanes. Will your course have hoops to fly through, goals to fly over or under, or height requirements? Try different airplanes in your obstacle course to see which fly best. For some great flight activity ideas, check out Explore Flight! by Anita Yasuda.
You’re flying a kite in the park when a strong wind picks you up and carries you up into the atmosphere until you end up miles away! Can you design something to get you back home? For some inspiration, see how Mei-Mei and her family create a dragon kite in Kite Flying by Grace Lin.
Want to be able to fly anywhere at any time? Design a pair of sneakers that allow you to fly! Read a poem about a magical flying shoe in the poem “Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too” in Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.
What will you be inspired to make?
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