School holidays are here, so we thought we’d share some of the best websites and online resources that we know of, for you to share with the budding engineers in your family! *
*Please supervise. These sites are awesome but, being engineering-focused, the odd gun and rocket launcher are in the mix.
Nanogirl
Nanogirl (kiwi nanotechnologist and engineer Dr Michelle Dickinson) is “on a mission to ensure that everyone, everywhere has the chance to enjoy a meaningful and creative relationship with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)”. Over the Covid period, she published a bunch of great videos (flight, sound, sight, earth) and she has a subscription service for ongoing activities.
Real Engineering
Interesting answers to simple questions. Investigating topics such as “why are there so many types of screw?” to “How the Model T took over the world” and “The Physics of Driving” and “How humans computerised the heart”.
Engineering Explained
A YouTube channel that’s owned by a graduate mechanical engineer with a passion for cars. His goal is to help other people understand how they work.
Code Club Aotearoa
Code Club Aotearoa aim to give every kiwi kid the opportunity to learn to code, no matter who or where they are. Their projects are open source, meaning you and your kids can access the resources for free while learning Scratch, Python, Raspberry Pi, Sonic Pi, Blender, and other cool tools and technologies.
KiwiCo Construction
Another subscription service to keep little hands busy over the holidays. They curate crates for different age groups – babies right through to teens (and adults!) They have an engineering kit monthly subscription, where you get to make a glowing pendulum, hydraulic claw, and explore automation.
Colin Furze
Colin Furze is an English YouTuber come stuntman/inventor/filmmaker. Probably better for older kids (and their parents) … some of the videos include homemade hoverbike, BMW hot tub, DIY X-Men Wolverine fully automatic claws!
NASA Space Place
A plethora of fun and interactive resources about earth, sun, solar system, universe, science and technology. Whether your kids like games, crafts, watching videos … there’s heaps on here to keep them busy.
Lego Masters
And, if in doubt, you could always binge watch the recently finished series of Lego Masters. Not only is it really fun to watch the creativity and ingenuity of the contestants … it’s also really cool to see grown adults so excited about lego!