Demystifying engineering for your kids: Here’s how

Engineering education is more important today than before. It’s important to engage children with engineering concepts. It will help them develop problem-solving skills to begin with. Then they will develop the ability to think through complex problems, collaborate with others, communicate needs and solutions, and persevere through failures. Our children shouldn’t have to wait until college to start exploring engineering. Here are some tips to engage your child with engineering irrespective of age: 

Help them understand engineering basics with examples  
Most school students are led to believe that engineering is a complicated subject ‘good students’ get to study after clearing very tough exams. In truth, engineering is all about making any work easier by minimising time and effort through an innovative intervention. We are surrounded by engineering marvels – a pair of scissors, a spoon, a wheel-barrow, a bicycle – objects that we have taken for granted. These examples can help your child to understand exactly how engineering works.   
 

Go one step forward and explain other branches of engineering  
Not all engineers are engaged in making effort-saving machines. There are so many other streams: chemical, environmental, structural, manufacturing, systems, material sciences. Thankfully we are again surrounded by everything they make, from weather department gadgets to water purification plants. Your child will wake up to a world of possibilities that engineering offers and develop an interest in learning more.   
 

Find out which topics interest them and explore engineering from that aspect  
Maybe your kid loves playing the guitar. Explain to them how the instrument evolved, it’s easily available on YouTube, and let then feel what a marvel of creative engineering it is. If they like eating French fries, tell them how a humble invention like the air frier has changed their snack time.  
 

Finally, set them a problem to troubleshoot  
According to the age of your kid, it could vary in complexity from sending an email or changing a tyre to creating a new circuit for a doorbell. It’s not important for them to succeed at first go, you should instead stress the process of troubleshooting and thinking step-by-step as an engineer should. It could be the start of something rewarding.