Stocking Stuffers for the Budding Engineer

Dartmouth engineering professor Vicki May—NH's 2013 Professor of the Year—gives ideas for inexpensive stocking stuffers that encourage kids to brainstorm, solve problems, and be creative and curious:

• Duct tape: Comes in a wide range of colors and has the ability to bind almost anything. Include a few empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls to get them started.
• Simple solar cooker: Learn about solar power by making Sun s'mores! See instructions from NASA.
• Spinning tops: Cardboard and washers combine to demonstrate rotational motion. See Montshire Museum's spinning top tutorial.
• Glue gun & popsicle sticks: The possibilities are endless—design, build, and test for sturdiness. Add ribbon, glitter, and beads to spice things up.
• Coffee can robots: Start with a coffee can and add magnets, pipe-cleaners, and other household items. See instructions for higher-tech, programmable “CoffeeBots” by MAKE magazine.

Happy Holidays and let the thinking and creating begin!