Everyday Machines
Zippers, locks, faucets, toilets, switches, fridges, thermostats, springs, cars and elevators, opened up.
Start free → A Rocket & Raven series · Home machines
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.
About the series
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.
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.
The course
The course is free, start to finish.
Questions families ask
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.
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