Family Design Activities

Create and Make at Home

On this page, you can find digital resources for creating and making at home. Colour, cut and build to develop your own design projects through various activities.

DIY Musical Instrument: Castanets

Issy is back with another home-made instrument.

Ask for an adult's help and follow the steps in the video to make your own castanets!

You will need: Cardboard, a ruler, bottle tops, glue, scissors, tape and colouring pencils.

DIY Musical Instrument: Banjo

Get musical with Issy’s amazing home-made instruments.

Ask for an adult's help and follow the steps in the video to make your own banjo!

You will need: Cardboard, jar lids, rubber bands, tape, string, a ruler, glue, scissors, colouring pencils and a bowl.

DIY Musical Instrument: Spin drum

Join Issy as she makes another home-made instrument.

Ask for an adult's help and follow the steps in the video to make your own spin drum!

You will need: Cardboard, a chop stick, a stick, bottle tops, beads, tape, string, scissors, a pencil, a rubber and colouring pencils.

Design your own shoe

Join Issy to learn about trainer design.

Ask for an adult's help and follow the steps in the video to make your own paper shoes!

You will need: The printed worksheet, hole punch, string, sticks, tape, glue, scissors and colouring pencils.

Easter Special: Lamb Carton

Design and construct the Easter lamb created by the team at Alexir Partnership and learn some of the terms and techniques that go into the packaging design process.

Design your own exhibition

Bring the Design Museum to you by building your own furniture exhibition.

Feature design classics like the Wiggle Chair and the Anglepoise lamp to create the room of your dreams.

Once it's ready, why not give a tour for the whole family?

Town Design: Build a street

Build the high street for the Design Museum building.

Now try building your high street at home or even imagine a high street for the future.

Build a box house

Play the role of the architect and construct a box building.

Add colour to the trees, cars and buses to bring it to life.

If you make more than one, you can build your own street!

Make rocking toys

Build and colour your own rocking horse.

Then use the blank template and your imagination to design other rocking objects.

My custom vehicle

Become a vehicle designer and create the car of your dreams.

Download, design and share your vehicle ideas with your friends.

Spinning animation

Use the templates below to make your own animated nodding lamp.

Try your own ideas using the template to create other animations.

Imagination Station - Part 1

Use the shapes to make your own creations. It could be the big top at a circus, a spaceship or even a tree in a forest.
Your imagination is the only limit!

Imagination Station - Part 2

Use the shapes to make your own creations.

It could be a satellite, a house or even a mountain.

Why not add the shapes from the last imagination station for more possibilities.

Imagination Station - Part 3

Use the shapes to make your own creations.

It could be a lion tamer’s stand, a skyscraper or a tiny hat. Your imagination is the only limit!

Add the parts to the Imagination Station parts 1 and 2 for more possibilities.

Imagination Station - Part 4

Use the shapes to make your own creations.

Add this sheet to the first three Imagination stations to make entire scenes of amazing designs; towns, forests or weird and wonderful worlds.

Your imagination is the only limit!