When it comes to the field of science, the discipline that excites us the most is engineering. It is no wonder why people become so passionate about their engineering projects. However, most people think that engineers are highly scientific people, working in labs or writing down complex math equations on a chalkboard.
Engineering is much broader and more accessible than you might think. The actual definition of this subject is “the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.” Thus, almost anything can fall into this category.
Do you want to build a birdhouse? That’s engineering.
Do you want to program an alarm clock? That’s engineering.
Almost any type of building or construction project you can imagine is part of this subject, which is why we love it so much.
To help you get involved in engineering, we’ve compiled a list of projects based on the level and category of engineering.
1. Projects For Kids
2. Projects For Teens
3. Projects For Beginners
4. Projects For Experts
5. Mechanical Engineering Projects
6. Electrical Engineering Projects
7. Projects For Middle School Classrooms
8. Projects For Highschool Classrooms
No matter your skill level, age, or interest, you’re sure to find a project that captures your attention. Let’s see what we’ve found.
Projects For Kids (12 & Under)
Most children have a good idea of what they want to be when they grow up, but a lot of them are still trying to figure out what fields are the most interesting. Thus, the earlier that you can get your kids started on engineering projects, the better chance that they will want to become one in the future.
Fortunately, creating an interest in engineering is a relatively simple task. These top three projects are sure to get your kids on board, even if they don’t seem too interested in the first place. Once they get started, they will see that engineering is both exciting and fun!
Building a Crash Test Car
The egg-drop is a classic science project that most people have done at some point in their childhood. This kid’s engineering project takes that concept to another level by putting the egg in a crash car vs dropping it from a roof.
You will learn how to create a set of wheels along with some other basic engineering principles.
Once you have built your test car, create a track with different conditions to test how much of an impact your egg can handle (FYI this could get messy).
Electromagnetic Train
Compared to the other options on this list, making this kind of “train” will involve buying some specialized supplies, like neodymium magnets. Fortunately, it’s so easy to purchase these things online, so don’t think that you have to scour hobby stores or anything to find them.
What’s cool about this project is that it shows how invisible forces can affect physical objects. Although we can’t see magnetism in action, we can look at its effects, making it seem a lot more tangible.
Home Made Wiggle Bot
Learn how to create a simple robot that can draw its own designs! This project will introduce the builder to components like a DC motor and batteries.
Projects For Teens
While the projects we listed above are perfect for kids of any age, teenagers will generally want to do things that are a little more involved. Thus, when your child is ready to take things up a notch, you can start with these creative engineering projects.
100-Yard Paper Rocket Launcher
Who doesn’t love rockets?? This engineering project is really easy to build and is A LOT of fun once it is built. The challenging part of this project is getting your rocket to reach over 50 feet. To make your rocket high-performing, you will need to design it to near perfection. Otherwise, any tiny imperfections will set your rocket of course and crashing into the ground.
Trip Wire Alarm
Although you probably don’t have to worry much about intruders invading your space, building a trip wire alarm is a lot of fun. Also, you can sleep soundly knowing that any potential invaders will be met with a nasty surprise. The best thing about this project is that you can customize it based on your skill level.
Arduino Skateboard Speedometer
Sure you could probably use an apple watch to track the speed on your skateboard BUT that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be cool to build one yourself.
Learn how to build a speedometer/tachometer for any type of vehicle (or board).
This project is great for anyone that skateboards and wants to show off their tech side.
Projects For Beginners
Technically speaking, any of the projects we’ve already listed are great for beginners, but if you mastered all of them already and you’re still looking for something a little more challenging but still at the beginner level, take a shot at building these items as well.
Simple Circuit Pizza Box
When it comes to electrical engineering, you need to know the basics of how electricity works. Building a simple circuit will provide a solid foundation upon which to develop more complex projects in the future. Best of all, this tutorial shows you how to do this without having to buy items like a breadboard or do any kind of programming. All you need is a pizza box and some other household items, and you’ll be ready to go.
Fruit Clock
If you have fruit that’s sitting around your house going to waste, why not turn it into something more practical? Fruit clocks are another excellent way to understand how electricity works and how it can impact your engineering projects. Plus, it can serve as a great conversation starter.
7 Arduino Projects For Beginners
The worst feeling is starting a project and realizing you are so in over your head you will spend the next 6 months just trying to understand the introduction. There is a natural progression of learning that will make engineering projects more fun.
In this article, we will cover how to build these projects using an Arduino board to accomplish some pretty cool things like a motion detector, keypad lock, and more!
Projects For Experts
Once you’ve managed to get a handle on the basics, it’s time to spread your wings and see what else you can do. These projects are definitely on the complicated side of things, but they will show you what’s possible when you have a thirst for knowledge and time to build anything you can imagine.
Pressure Activated Light-Up Umbrella
Imagine walking down the street and having an umbrella that lights up in the spot that feels the pressure of rain?! This project will be a show stopper and challenge your engineering skills. In this project, you will have the opportunity to practice how to program code, secure electrical circuits, and solder.
Secret Knock Detecting Door Lock
Not only can you have a secret code for your bedroom but now you can have a secret knock detecting lock on your door! What is cool about this project is that if you turn the precision up all the way it can detect the same knock from different people.
DIY Fingerprint Scanning Garage Door Opener
One day this will be the future so why not be ahead of the curve? Creating a fingerprint scanner for your garage door is complex but you were the one that is interested in an engineering project for an “expert”.
You will have to do some soldering, wiring, uploading code to an Arduino, and circuit board construction.
Just imagine when you have guests over next time and show them your James Bond side.
Mechanical Engineering Projects
Building machines is a great way to experience engineering, and these projects will show you how to do that and more. Compared to other disciplines, mechanical engineering is probably the most fun and rewarding, and it doesn’t take too much technical expertise.
Wall-Climbing Robot
The ultimate engineering project is building a high-functioning robot, and this one is both simple enough to create yet sophisticated enough to be a challenge. Watching your robot scale your home like it’s nothing will make you feel like you can conquer the world!
Remote-Controlled Mini Forklift
While building a functioning machine is great, taking it a step further by adding a remote control allows you to take your skills to the next level. While this tutorial is for a forklift, we encourage you to try other vehicles, like cars and planes, to further expand on this foundation. The sky could literally be the limit.
Arduino Candy Machine
In this project, you will use an Arduino to control a candy-grabbing machine. This machine is the desktop version of the candy grabbing carnival machine. Put your skills mechanical engineering skills to the test by building a candy machine for your house!
Electrical Engineering Projects
Considering that the world runs on electricity, it makes sense to do projects that require a bit of energy to work. We’re all connected to our electronics, so why not make some of your own? Here are the best projects that will get you going.
Chapstick Flashlight
Building such a small device will show you how you can shrink complex systems down. Once you’ve created this, you can see if other projects can be made small as well. Why go big when you can make everything pocket-sized?
DIY Radar
At first, this project will seem massively complicated, but the fact is that it takes a variety of simple functions and has them work together to achieve a specific goal. Once you’ve succeeded in building your own radar, you will be inspired to see what other projects you can master.
DIY Arduino Fire Alarm System
Build your Fire Alarm System at home with Arduino UNO. In this tutorial, you will learn all steps to DIY Arduino fire alert system by yourself. In this project, we need IR based flame sensor to detect firelight, and it gives a signal to Arduino where buzzer connected to provide us with the output as fire alert.
Projects For Middle School Classrooms
Learning is great when you can do it with other people, and projects for the classroom can be so much fun and rewarding for everyone involved. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Air Monitoring Balloon
With this project, students can be placed into teams to collect CO concentration in different areas. It is a fun project that introduces components like a sensor called MQ7. This sensor collects data about CO concentration in the air.
Simple Powered Car
This project is an old fashion project but has survived the tail of time. Why? Because it can be done from just about anywhere with any type of budget. It is a basic engineering project so it will be able to be simple enough to students that may not be familiar with any understanding of power.
Projects For High School Classrooms
High schoolers are starting to understand a lot more about how things work, which is why your projects should take things up a notch. These options will illustrate some of the more complex systems in engineering and make them a lot more accessible.
PC-based Heart Rate Monitor
Mixing health and STEM education is something that you should always think about when talking about career niches for students. Both industries are booming and show no sign of slowing down.
In this project build a heart rate monitor and then have students test each other’s heart rate. Find the issues and encourage students to work through the troubleshooting process.
Create A Class Vending Machine
Imagine building and owning your own class vending machine? Encourage students to build, stock, and sell items from the machine to fund future class projects. This way everyone can be involved even if they aren’t the best one to lead the programming of the machine.
Projects For Schools, Makerspaces, Libraries, and Clubs
All of these projects are great projects but it may be difficult to find a packaged product that has components, instructions, video tutorials, and a turnkey grading system. That is why we created the Creation Crate Classroom Kit.
The kit has 12 projects that make up a project-based STEM curriculum. You will find an online classroom that also holds learning material and grading assessments for teachers to follow.
Closing Statement
Overall, engineering is a fun and engaging discipline that takes all kinds. If you’re interested in getting involved at home, try Creation Crate today. We have a 12-month curriculum full of fun and exciting projects like these, so contact us to get started!
