A 7-slide tour that helps children realise EVERY man-made object around them was designed by someone, often with the same design-make-evaluate process they’re learning. Each slide pairs a familiar object with the key D&T idea behind it: chairs (structures), kitchen scissors (mechanisms), backpacks (textiles), and a peanut-butter sandwich (cooking/nutrition).
Best read with a grown-up. Slide 7 is a “spot the designer” walk-around-the-house challenge.
A ten-question quiz spanning the breadth of the KS1 D&T programme of study — the design-make-evaluate process, structural stability, mechanisms, where food comes from, and the basic vocabulary of evaluation.
Best taken after the e-learning lesson. The structures and mechanisms questions test understanding through real-world examples (towers, scissors, seesaws) rather than abstract rules.
The vocabulary children need to talk about design and technology at KS1. Each card pairs a term with a clear everyday-language definition and a real-world example. Used as a starter or homework warm-up, the deck embeds the language children need to discuss their own making.
The hands-on heart of this pack. Five mini-projects, one per NC strand, all designed to be done at home or in class with everyday materials — no specialist equipment required.
Project 1: The tallest paper tower (structures). Project 2: Make a wagging-tail dog (mechanisms: lever). Project 3: Felt bookmark (textiles). Project 4: Rainbow fruit salad (cooking/nutrition — NO-COOK, no heat). Project 5: Design your dream toy (design challenge — bringing it all together). Each project follows the design-make-evaluate process. Adult guidance recommended.
A short guide for parents and carers. KS1 D&T is one of the easiest curriculum subjects to support at home — you almost certainly already do most of it without knowing. The junk box, the kitchen, the toy that broke and got fixed — all real D&T.
Four practical ideas, all using stuff you’ve already got.
A planning companion for the KS1 D&T unit. Maps every resource to specific NC strands (design, make, evaluate, technical knowledge, cooking & nutrition), gives food-safety guidance for the cooking project, and lays out a 6-lesson scheme using the pack’s resources.
Particularly useful is the section on the most-missed bit of KS1 D&T: actually teaching children to write design criteria, not just follow them. This is the Y2 expectation that elevates D&T from craft to design.