Unfortunately, we think of engineering as being something very serious that one studies in college. In fact, engineering is something that is perfectly compatible with young children. When we encourage children to build with sand, blocks, paint, and glue, we are simply asking them to take what they know about science and apply it to the real world. In the truest sense, children are natural engineers and we can create classrooms that celebrate this fact.

Engineering is concrete. Engineers make things that work in the real world, within constraints of time, budget, and materials. Constraints make life interesting, and dealing with constraints creates opportunities for ingenuity and creativity. Engineers plan, but they also experiment and tinker. Yet, most kids are deprived of engineering experiences until they endure 12 years of abstractions. Knowledge construction follows a progression from concrete to the abstract, but the abstract is not “better.” It’s just a different way of knowing. If the playful, creative inclinations of young children were nurtured in an engineering context, their understanding of the increasingly elusive math and science facts would be developed in a meaningful natural context.