Maple Class have had a fantastic start to our new Design and Technology topic, where we will be learning all about moving mechanisms. By the end of the term, the children will use these skills to design and make their own moving storybook.
This week, we began by experimenting with sliders. The children explored how a simple sliding mechanism can create movement by making a rabbit pop out of a magic hat. They carefully cut, joined and tested their sliders, discovering how pushing and pulling makes pictures move.
There was lots of brilliant discussion as the children explained how their mechanism worked, what went well and what they might change next time. Some children tested different positions for their slider, while others focused on making their rabbit move smoothly in and out of the hat.
This hands-on activity helped the children develop their fine motor skills, problem-solving and understanding of how things move — all important skills they will build on as we continue our journey towards creating a moving storybook.