K to Grade 5 Ages 5 to 11
Everyday Machines
Free online home machines course · 12 weeks
Zippers, locks, faucets, toilets, switches, fridges, thermostats, springs, cars and elevators, opened up.
Free Self-paced online course
A Rocket & Raven series
Everyday Machines
A free online course on how the things at home work: a zipper, a lock, a faucet, a toilet, a light switch, a fridge, a car and an elevator.
Everyday Machines is a free online course about the machines a family touches every day. Each week is one object: how a zipper's hooks lock, how a key lifts the pins in a lock, what a faucet's washer does, how a toilet flushes, what a light switch opens and closes, why a fridge door seal grabs, how a fridge moves heat out, what a thermostat decides, what a pen's spring does, how a car moves and how an elevator lifts. Kids look closely, take apart one approved item, run one fair test, draw a cutaway and explain the machine in their own words with Rocket, Raven and Nova. Nothing is plugged in, and a grown-up handles anything hot, sharp or heavy. Short lessons run Monday to Friday, and Saturday is Machine Day with the family.
What's in every course
- · Kindergarten to Grade 5, with a grown-up reading along
- · Twelve weeks, one home machine each
- · Short lessons Monday to Friday, about 15 minutes each
- · One approved take-apart and one fair test each week
- · A cutaway drawing and a Machine Show finish
- · A Saturday Machine Day for the family, with a note for the grown-up
- · Free, start to finish. No card.
Courses in this series
The course is free, start to finish.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost? +
Nothing. Everyday Machines is free from start to finish, with no card. A free parent account saves each kid's progress.
What ages is it for? +
Kindergarten to Grade 5. The reading is kept simple so younger kids can follow with a grown-up reading along, and every answer is a tap.
Do kids take real machines apart? +
Only one approved item a week, chosen with a grown-up, such as a click pen or an old zipper. Nothing is plugged in, and a grown-up handles anything hot, sharp or heavy.
What do we need at home? +
Household things you already have: a zipper, a key, a faucet, a light switch, a fridge, a pen and paper for the cutaway drawings.
Is it safe? +
Every hands-on activity has a safety note. Kids never open an outlet, an appliance or a car, and a grown-up does every hot, sharp or heavy job.