# FATHER #
I remember when I was a child, I saw my father change light bulbs and repair the toilet, and I thought my father was amazing. How about you?! So let’s do what dads are good at with your kids! Let’s start with “Design”!
小知识
When taking part in STEM projects, we often talk about the “Engineering Design Process”. The engineering design process is a series of steps that people go through to solve a problem in STEM fields, and a process that we often encounter in STEM activities in school.
开展STEM项目的时候，我们经常会涉及到所谓的工程设计。工程设计是人们在STEM领域解决问题所经历的一系列步骤，也是我们在学校STEM活动中常常经历的过程。
相信家里的爸爸们已经迫不及待和孩子一起动手了。让我们开始，和孩子一起玩，成为陪玩高手吧！
Activity 1—Design a Maze
活动一：设计迷宫
In this paper plate maze STEM challenge, children are challenged to make a marble maze using materials you can easily find at home. The child follows all elements of a real design process, including brainstorming, design, planning and drawing, building a maze, testing their mazes and improving them.
在这个纸盘迷宫中，孩子们面临的挑战是用家里常见的材料制作一个弹珠迷宫。孩子们必须根据活动设计的所有要素切实地经历一个完整的过程，包括头脑风暴、设计规划和绘图、建造迷宫、测试迷宫和最后的改进迷宫。
左滑查看中文
Materials you will need:
材料准备：
– Paper plate or box lid
– Materials to make the maze walls (cardboard strips, straws, cotton balls, string, playdough, etc.)
– Glue (liquid glue works best)
– Scissors
– Marbles or small balls that roll easily
-纸盘或鞋盒盖
-制作迷宫墙的用品（可以使用纸板条、吸管、棉球、细绳、橡皮泥等）
-胶水 （液体胶水效果最好）
-剪刀
-容易滚动的弹珠或小球
滑动查看中文
# STEP 1 步骤一 #
Issue the challenge
First, issue the challenge. The project goal is to produce a maze that fits a marble, contained inside a paper plate or box lid that works and doesn’t break when playing with it.
发出挑战
活动的目标是用纸盘或鞋盒盖制作一个牢固的，且适合弹珠滚动的迷宫。
# STEP 2 步骤二 #
Brainstorm and Design
With your child, brainstorm different ways you could build a maze with the materials you have available. Draw a design plan or blueprint to have a visual idea. It is a good idea to make a few designs to try.
头脑风暴和设计
和孩子一起头脑风暴时，先根据活动目标想出各种制作迷宫的方法或方案。然后画一个制作蓝图，把想法具体化，以便下一步的动手操作。下面是一些好的设计想法，为大家提供借鉴。
# STEP 3 步骤三 #
Build
Using your plan as a guide, start building! Whether you are using glue, sticky tape, or playdough, start to build the walls of the maze, making sure to discuss your and your child’s thoughts on the structure as you go along. Where possible, build more than one maze using different materials so that you can compare.
制作
使用制作蓝图作为指导，开始着手制作！无论你使用的是胶水、胶带还是橡皮泥，应该首先建造迷宫的墙壁，在制作过程中注意不断和孩子讨论迷宫的结构，了解孩子自己的想法。在可能的条件下，还可以尝试用不同的材料建造多个迷宫，进行横向比较。
# STEP 4 步骤四 #
Test it out!
When your design is ready, test it out with your child! Grab a marble or a small ball and try to guide it through your maze.
测试迷宫
迷宫建好后，我们可以和孩子一起用一个小球在迷宫里滚动，测试迷宫。
# STEP 5 步骤五 #
Improve
When testing out the maze, ask your child questions:
Did the design work? Could you guide the marble through the maze? What design worked best? What design was not as good? What were the best parts and worst parts of each design? How could we improve on them? Based on these questions, work together to improve your design. Maybe you should try different materials or a stronger glue. The possibilities are endless!
改进迷宫
在测试迷宫时，向孩子提问：
设计成功了吗？你能引导弹珠穿过迷宫吗？什么设计效果最好？哪个地方设计得不是很好？设计中最好和不足的地方是什么？我们如何改进不足的地方？基于这些问题，一起来改进你们的设计，还可以尝试不同的材料，或者粘性更强的胶水。改进设计的本身具有无限的可能性！
There you go! You’ve completed your own STEM activity. Kids can learn a lot from designing their own maze. Kids learn elements of the design process, such as the selection of the right materials for the task, making sure the design is precise, trying out multiple designs, and testing to make sure it works properly. Now that you are familiar with the engineering design process, check out more activities below!
恭喜你！你已经完成了自己的STEM活动。
孩子们可以从设计自己的迷宫中学到很多东西。过程中的要素，例如为任务选择合适的材料，确保设计是精确的，尝试多种设计，并测试以确保其正常工作等，都是孩子们宝贵的学习机会。
利用类似的活动思路，可以和孩子进行更多不同的设计活动，请查看下面的活动举例。
Activity 2 Snack Time Structures
活动二：点心建筑
Materials you will need:
材料准备：
1. A snack food (gummy candies, marshmallows, apple pieces, etc.)
2. Toothpicks
3. Your imagination!
1.零食，例如橡皮糖、棉花糖或苹果片
2.牙签
3.你的想象力！
滑动查看中文
# STEP 1 步骤一 #
Issue the challenge
The goal of this project is to build a building-like structure using toothpicks and snack food. Perhaps you want to give the additional challenge of a certain number of floor levels. The structure should be built by connecting toothpicks (as beams) together with different snack foods as the connectors.
发出挑战
活动目标是用牙签和零食建造一个类似建筑物的模型。过程中可以根据孩子的情况增加挑战难度，比如一个确定的层数。在模型中，牙签是桥梁，把各种不同的零食连通在一起。
# STEP 2 步骤二 #
Brainstorm and Design
Think of different buildings and structures that you might have seen in your neighborhood or around Shanghai. Draw a design plan or blueprint to have a visual idea. Think of the height you want to build your structure, the width, and the connector snack food you think will be suitable.
Here are some ideas of buildings that you could try to get you started.
头脑风暴和设计
回想一下在周围社区或上海看到的不同建筑物的结构。画一个设计图，把想法呈现出来。思考一下你想要的建造物的高度、宽度，以及合适的零食连接器。
这里有一些建筑模型，为大家提供参考。
# STEP 3 步骤三 #
Build
Start building the structure. As you and your child build, discuss the different problems you encounter – does the snack food support the toothpicks? Can you build more than two levels?
建造模型
建造模型的过程中，可以和孩子一起讨论可能遇到的问题，如零食能支撑牙签吗？你能建两层以上的房子吗？
# STEP 4 步骤四 #
Test
When your child has finished building, they need to test that the structure will remain to stand and not collapse.
测试模型
建造完成后，需要测试结构是否会保持直立而不会倒塌。
# STEP 5 步骤五 #
Improve
Depending on how the test went, ask your child to check the different levels and connectors. Are there any connections that are weak? Could they make any changes to the structure to make it stronger? Continue the conversation and support your child in trying different materials or connection positions or angles to improve the structure.
Your child is now an engineer and has completed another great activity STEM building activity that has fostered creativity and problem-solving!
改进模型
根据测试的情况，让孩子检查不同的层和连接器。有没有看起来比较弱的连接？能不能对结构做些改变，让它们更坚固？过程中与孩子的讨论将有力地支持孩子尝试不同的材料或连接位置或角度，来改善结构。
您的孩子现在是一名小工程师，又完成了一项伟大的STEM构建活动，这个活动培养了创造力和解决问题的能力！
By giving our children different challenges, we can support them in understanding this design process. STEM activities can take place anywhere, not just in school or an engineer’s office! Above are some activities that you can do at home with your child to bring out their genius!
通过给孩子们不同的挑战，可以帮助他们理解“设计”过程。STEM活动可以在任何地方进行，不仅仅局限在学校或者工程师的办公室哦。上面是一些你可以在家里和孩子一起做的活动，挖掘他们的天赋潜能。
文章转载自公众号：宋庆龄幼儿园
