This is part of my fifteen minute focus series. The children learn a little about inventors and inventions. Then they either draw an invention or discuss an invention.

Objective: children can state that inventors can invent tools to do a job better than they can do it with just their hands.

Supplies

For most of my 15 minute focus activities, they don’t need any special books or supplies and have limited prep time. For this one, I read a specific book and use a set of prepared cards to go with it. I’ll give you ideas for alternates below.

Book: The book I use is The Handiest Things in the World by Clements. There are videos of it being read aloud (video or video), but these are generally violations of the author’s copyright and royalties, so I recommend against using those in class. You could also use the general idea to create your own book of examples of things that are hard to do well with your hands, and easier to do with a tool.

Picture Cards: Have pictures of each of the tools shown in the book. Enough picture cards that each child in the class will have one. (It’s OK if multiple kids have the same picture.) The idea for the companion activity came from Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons by Morgan and Ansberry, and that book includes picture cards you can copy and use, or you can make your own to match Clements book, or your own book.

Book and Cards

To introduce this, say  “Human beings have hands, which are really cool – we can do all sorts of things with our hands that animals can’t do with their paws. Can you think of some?” [discuss for a while] “But what’s even cooler about humans is that we can invent things. So when our hands aren’t perfect at doing a job, we can invent a tool that helps us do the job better. We’re going to read a book where one page describes a problem – something where using your hands helps you to do something, but maybe your hands aren’t perfect at that job. Then you guys will guess what invention might help us solve that problem.”

Then hand out a card to each child. When reading the book, only show them the left page at first that shows using your hands. Then ask them what invention would help someone accomplish the task that’s described… have the child with that card show it to everyone, then show them the picture in the book of that invention.

Activity

Then ask them what job is hard for them to do. Or something they wish they were better at. Could they invent something to do that job? Maybe a simple tool or maybe a complicated machine or maybe a robot. Then have them draw a picture of that invention and then share it with the group.

I found that the five year olds were able to imagine something cool and sort of draw it. This activity was actually a little too abstract for my four year olds. Another option would have been a group discussion where you all work together on something. An idea from the Morgan and Ansberry book is to suggest that you want their help designing the coolest possible backpack to bring things to school in. First ask what problems they might have with current backpack they want to fix, and together come up with ideas for solving them, then think of fun / crazy things you could do. You could draw it out as they brainstorm, or you could have them draw their own.

Here are lots more ideas for preschool activities on the theme of inventors.