Creative Thinking Valentine’s Day Challenge for Kids

Innovation Challenge: Can you design a Valentine’s Day mailbox that is “Not a Box”?

Objective: Inspired by the picture book, Not a Box, design a Valentine box that is disguised as something else.

Materials:

• Recycled Materials
• Variety of Craft Materials
• Tape
• Glue
• Scissors
• Valentine’s Stickers

Challenge Requirements: The finished design must include at least one box and be able to hold a variety of valentine’s cards. You may wish to add a size limit. Our rule was you must be able to carry your Valentine box yourself.

Teaching Strategy:

Read the story, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Introduce the challenge to students, design a Valentine’s Day box that is “Not a Box” and can hold a variety of Valentine cards.

Use the engineer design process to help guide and create your unique solution to the challenge.

Ask: What is the problem?

How can you design a box to hold valentines and “not be a box”?

Imagine: What are the possible solutions?

Brainstorm all possible ideas.

Plan: What your design look like?

Plan how to build your box.  What will it look like? What materials will you need?

Create: Build your design.

Experiment: Test your design. Does it hold a variety of valentine cards? Does it look like something other than a box?

Improve: How can you improve your design. Make adjustments as needed.

Share: Present and share your  solution to the “Not a Box” Valentine challenge