Designing Enrichment Toys for Zoo Animals

Watch this video as youth design and build enrichment toys for specific zoo animals.

As you watch the video, think about these questions.

  • What experiences help youth get interested in their real-world problem and the animal they are designing for?
  • What does the facilitator say or do to build interest in the real-world problem?
  • What should youth consider as they design and build their solution?

Now that you’ve watched the video, reflect on what you saw.  How does this apply to your work?

  • How did the youth approach this challenge?
  • What did the facilitators say or do with youth to help them think about their design?
  • What are some real-world problems that make sense for the youth you work with?  What problems would they care about solving?

When engineers design solutions to specific, real-world problems, they consider the context, background information, needs of the client and the implications of solutions.  Youth can learn to use their engineering skills to solve real-world problems that are important to them.

Explore Engineering Practices