When you hear the word engineering, what comes to mind?
Maybe you picture robots, skyscrapers, or complicated machines. While engineers certainly work on these projects, engineering is also behind many of the objects we use every single day.
Think about the zipper on your jacket, the wheels on your suitcase, or the water bottle you bring to school.
Each of these objects was designed to solve a problem.
And behind every design is someone who asked an important question: How can we make this work better?
Understanding the engineering behind everyday objects can help children see that STEM isn't something that only happens in laboratories or classrooms. It's all around them.
Engineering Starts With a Problem
At its core, engineering is about finding solutions.
Engineers identify a problem, brainstorm possible ideas, develop designs, test them, and make improvements.
This process is often called the engineering design process.
Unlike some school assignments, engineering problems don't always have one correct answer. There may be several different designs that solve the same problem, each with its own advantages and limitations.
For example, imagine you're designing a backpack.
You might need to consider how much weight it can carry, how comfortable it feels, how durable the materials are, and how easily someone can open and close it.
A successful backpack isn't simply one that looks nice. It also needs to meet the needs of the person using it.
These are the same kinds of questions engineers consider when designing products.
The Science Behind a Zipper
Zippers are so common that we rarely stop to think about how they work.
But a zipper is a clever example of mechanical engineering.
When you pull the slider along a zipper, its shape guides two rows of interlocking teeth together or separates them.
The slider allows a relatively small movement of your hand to connect or disconnect a long fastening system.
This simple mechanism makes it possible to open and close jackets, backpacks, luggage, and many other products quickly.
The next time you use a zipper, take a closer look at its design.
How do the teeth fit together? What happens inside the slider? Why does the zipper stay closed when you stop pulling?
These questions can turn an everyday object into an opportunity to explore mechanical design.
Why Do Suitcases Have Wheels?
Imagine traveling through an airport while carrying a heavy suitcase.
Now imagine pulling the same suitcase on wheels.
The second option is usually much easier because wheels reduce the resistance associated with dragging an object across the ground.
Instead of sliding across a surface, the suitcase rolls.
Engineers must consider several factors when designing suitcase wheels, including their size, material, placement, and ability to turn.
Small wheels might make a suitcase compact, but they may struggle on uneven surfaces. Larger wheels may roll more easily over certain obstacles but take up more space.
This is an example of an engineering trade-off.
Improving one feature of a design can sometimes create challenges in another area.
Engineers must decide which features are most important for the people using their products.
How Water Bottles Are Designed
A reusable water bottle might seem simple, but its design involves several different engineering decisions.
The material needs to be appropriate for holding beverages. The lid should prevent leaks. The bottle should be easy to carry, clean, and use.
Some bottles are also designed to keep drinks hot or cold.
Insulated bottles often use a double-wall design with a vacuum between the walls. Because a vacuum contains very little matter, it reduces heat transfer through conduction and convection between the walls.
Engineers also consider how much the bottle weighs, how durable it is, and how easily it can be manufactured.
Even small design choices, such as the shape of the handle or the width of the opening, can affect how useful a product is.
What Makes a Good Bridge?
Bridges are another example of engineering that students encounter in everyday life.
Although bridges come in many different shapes and sizes, they all need to support loads while spanning a gap.
Engineers must consider the forces acting on a bridge, including compression, tension, and bending.
Different bridge designs distribute these forces in different ways.
For example, triangular shapes are commonly used in truss bridges because they can help create stable structures.
Students can explore these ideas by building small bridges from paper, craft sticks, or straws.
By testing different designs, they can discover how the arrangement of materials affects the strength of a structure.
Try It at Home: The Paper Bridge Challenge
You don't need expensive supplies to explore engineering.
This simple challenge introduces children to structural design, testing, and problem-solving.
Materials:
Two stacks of books
Several sheets of paper
Coins or other small, identical weights
Tape (optional)
Step 1: Create a gap
Place two stacks of books a short distance apart.
Step 2: Build your first bridge
Lay a flat sheet of paper across the gap so that both ends rest on the books.
Step 3: Test its strength
Carefully add coins, one at a time, near the center of the paper. Record how many it supports before it bends too much or collapses.
Step 4: Redesign your bridge
Try folding another sheet of paper into an accordion shape before placing it across the gap.
Step 5: Test again
Add coins in the same way and compare the results.
Step 6: Think like an engineer
Ask questions such as:
Which bridge supported more weight?
How did folding the paper change its strength?
What could you change to improve your design?
Would the results be different with a wider gap?
For a fair comparison, keep the paper type, bridge span, and weight placement consistent.
This activity helps students see how changing the shape of a material can affect its structural performance.
Engineering Is About Creativity, Too
Engineering isn't just about understanding science and math.
It also requires creativity.
When engineers develop new products, they must imagine possibilities that don't exist yet.
They might sketch several different designs, build prototypes, test their ideas, and make improvements based on what they learn.
Sometimes, the first design doesn't work as expected.
But that doesn't mean the project has failed.
Testing provides information that engineers can use to develop better solutions.
Encouraging children to approach challenges this way can help them become more comfortable experimenting, making adjustments, and trying new ideas.
Helping Girls See Themselves as Engineers
When children begin recognizing engineering in the world around them, the subject can feel more approachable.
They don't need to know advanced equations or have experience building robots to start thinking like engineers.
They can begin by asking questions about the objects they use every day.
Why is this shaped the way it is? What problem does it solve? Could I design something better?
At Girls Code the World, we believe that introducing girls to STEM means helping them recognize their own potential to create, build, and solve problems.
Whether they're experimenting with a paper bridge, examining how a zipper works, or imagining a better backpack, they're practicing skills that engineers use every day.
Because engineering doesn't always begin with a complicated invention. Sometimes, it begins by looking at something ordinary and imagining how it could be better.
Sources
1. NASA — Engineering Design Process
Educational resources that introduce the engineering design process, including identifying problems, designing solutions, testing, and improving prototypes.
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/
2. TeachEngineering — Engineering Design Process
Explains how engineers use creativity, science, mathematics, and iterative design to develop solutions.
https://www.teachengineering.org/populartopics/designprocess
3. Science Buddies — Engineering Design Process
Provides a student-friendly overview of the engineering design process and how to test and improve designs.
4. Smithsonian Science Education Center — Science for Makerspaces
Offers hands-on activities that encourage students to explore engineering, physical science, and design through everyday materials.
https://ssec.si.edu/science-for-makerspaces
5. DiscoverE — Engineering Activities
Provides engineering activities and educational resources designed to introduce students to creative problem-solving and design.