You already do D&T at home
D&T at KS1 isn't about workshops and specialist tools. It's about: noticing how things are made, planning before making, and evaluating after.
If you've ever helped your child build something out of a cereal box, made a sandwich together, or fixed a toy — that was D&T. The goal here is to make those moments slightly more deliberate.
1. The junk box
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Set aside a box for "useful rubbish": cereal boxes, kitchen roll tubes, bottle tops, ribbon, foil, old wrapping paper.
Add a small stash of connectors: tape, glue stick, paper fasteners, scissors, string.
Children who can reach materials, make things. That's the whole secret. Many of the most ambitious D&T projects in primary school start with "what's in the junk box?"
2. The "what does it need to do" question
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When your child wants to make something, before they reach for the scissors, ask:
"What does it need to do?"
"Who is it for?"
"How will we know it worked?"
These three questions ARE the Y2 design-criteria process. Asked at home, they cost nothing and embed the habit.
3. Cook together (it's D&T too)
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Cooking and nutrition is a statutory part of KS1 D&T. The best way to teach it: cook something together. Even something tiny.
Things a 5-year-old can safely do:
· Wash fruit and veg
· Tear lettuce, herbs
· Spread butter, jam, hummus
· Sprinkle, stir, mix
· Crack eggs (over a bowl, expect mess)
· Decide on toppings
While you do it, talk about: where did this come from? What food group is it? What does it need to taste good?
One thing to remember: at this age, the EXPERIENCE of making something matters more than the result. A wonky finished product made with focus is the win — not a tidy one made for them.
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Well done!
You finished this lesson. You worked hard and learned something new today. 🎉
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