Design and technology at key stages 1 and 2    (Year 2)

• Show the children toys that have winding mechanisms and/or construct a simple winding mechanism using a construction kit. Discuss with the children what the winding mechanism does and how it works. What might you need to wind up?

• Provide opportunities for children to explore making winding mechanisms in different ways using a selection of construction kits. How did they construct the winding mechanism? How did they attach the axle so it moves? How can they turn the axle? Ask them to use the mechanism to wind up something.

• Ask the children to draw a toy and label the different parts of the mechanism.

• Remind the children of techniques for holding axles to enable them to turn eg punching holes in the side of a box, using clothes pegs or triangular pieces of card with holes punched. Demonstrate the techniques and discuss possible difficulties eg what happens when the axles are not parallel.

• Show the children how to cut, fix and use appropriate amounts of masking tape, or plastic tubing, to secure the cotton reels on the axle if there is a loose fit.

• Remind the children of the correct use of tools and, if necessary, demonstrate and give children the opportunity to practise using specific tools and equipment eg how to use a hacksaw and sawing jig to cut doweling.

• Ask the children to investigate ways of making the spider, sun and rain.

• Discuss the importance of the size of the drum on a 'winder'. The bigger the drum the faster it winds up for a given winding speed. Explore using different drum sizes.

• Read the rhyme eg 'Incy Wincy Spider'.

• Ask the children to think carefully about their ideas. Which winding mechanisms would be most suitable for your toy? How will you construct the spider? How will you make the sun and rain work? How will you make it strong enough for people to use? Discuss other design criteria.

• Ask the children to collect their materials and list the tools that they think they will use.

• Encourage the children to make well-constructed structures. How is it going to move? How will you join the pieces so that it can move? How could you make it stronger? Where are the weak points? How could you reinforce them? Are there different ways of making this? Which would give the best results?

• Discuss what they have done and evaluate how well the toy works in relation to their design criteria.