Strange times we are living in. Today was set to be our first ever TECgirls LIVE event. Over 100 girls and their parents signed up within 2 weeks to join us for a day of play and inspiration. The event has been rescheduled for August 22nd, with all tickets automatically moved to the new date. We are sure the added time will make the event even better. However, it is still a bit sad to have everything we planned for months, postponed.
Not ones to get frustrated by things we can’t control; we are forging on with our mission to inspire and engage girls in the wonderful worlds of TEC. Our magazine is almost done and you can look forward to a digital version soon. Packed full of activities and stories about women succeeding in Technology, Engineering and Creative pursuits.
We are also planning some more online content to keep girls and parents inspired during this time at home. The great thing about TEC is there are several things you can do at home together. In this post, we’ve included a few examples. But we plan on sharing more on this blog and on our socials.
We’d also love to share any of the projects you are doing. Reach out to us on social media so we can share your projects. Either messaging us directly or using the #’s #TECgirls #ItsAGirlThing.
THREE FREE FUN IDEAS FOR GIRLS AND PARENTS
1. Back Garden Or Hallway Paper Aeroplane Challenge
Get those engineering imaginations fired up with this paper aeroplane challenge. Start by making your own paper aeroplane any style you like. Then fly it and measure the distance it went. Record the distance in a logbook. Now see if you can make some modifications to help the plane go further. Feel free to research design ideas online and try some tutorials. Now try that design. Did it go further? What about the design helped it fly better? Could you modify it again to achieve an even better flight? What happens if you use a different type of paper? Once you have a winning design try a flight challenge with siblings or parents to see who can come up with the best design. Don’t forget to decorate your plane!
2. Code Your Parents Treasure Hunt
This is a great game to play with your parents. You just need a chair, a dishcloth, 5-10 stones or shells and a bit of space. You can do this outside or in a sitting room (but be sure to clear the space).
Start by setting one chair up and one end of the “obstacle course”. Have your parent sit in the chair and put the dishcloth on like a blindfold. Now place the stones or shells on the floor around the room or garden setting out a course for your parent. Keep the stones or shells apart from each other by about 2-5 steps. Once you’re all set up it’s time to go. You now need to code your parent to find the stones or “treasure”. The parent can only do exactly what you tell them to do and remember they can’t see. You need to tell them “Stand” “go forward 2 steps” “turn left” “bend down” “reach for treasure” “pick-up treasure” “stand up”. Guide your parent around the course until they pick up all the treasure. If you want a challenge try timing yourself and play against your parent or sibling, taking turns being the coder and being the seeker.
3. Build An Amazing Simple Machine
Can you build your own super marble run? Save up the toilet roll and paper towel tubes your family has been using to make a fun simple machine. You can also use old milk containers (clean them first) or any plastic bottles you have. Card paper will also work. Maybe from old birthday cards? You can try your course with marbles or any other small balls, you might have around the house. You could also try making one for something like a small car, dice or even a very round stone. As it’s almost Easter, mini eggs could also work! You can make a marble run that is attached to something like a wall or cardboard with tape (ask your parents first) or something that stands on its own (harder!).
Once you’ve mastered the marble run or if you’d like a tougher challenge, try making your very own simple machine. For this you might need more bits, but try to be creative, using what you can find around the house. We recommend doing this with a parent.
We hope these ideas are helpful and fun. If you have permission from your parents, please share photos or videos of you trying any of the above and we will post them on our socials and on the blog. You can email them to us at info@tecgirls.co.uk or tag your socials with the #’s #TECgirls #ItsAGirlThing.
Happy making everyone!
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