Be Your Own Engineer with Duct Tape and Rubber Bands

Do your kids dream of something making the next coolest gadget?  Or do they tinker and play with all the odds and ends around the house, creating new inventions?

We've found the perfect books to fuel their creations and help them build something useful all at the same time--Duct Tape Engineer and Rubber Band Engineer, both written by Lance Akiyama and published by the Quarto Group.


Both books are full of ideas your kids can build, sometimes with help from mom and dad, using duct tape or rubber bands and other simple items.

In Duct Tape Engineer, create everything from backpacks, messenger bags, and toolkits, all the way to garden swings, kayaks, and even furniture!  If you can dream it, it seems like you can build it with duct tape.  The kids both loved the idea of the different style bags, and the garden swing looks like a possibility for a wintertime basement project.  Besides duct tape, strong cardboard and/or bamboo are needed to help build the more complex projects, but simpler ones can often be made from recycled materials.

In Rubber Band Engineer, learn how to make bows and arrows, a propellor powered car, a robot arm, catapults, and more.  What kid (or grown-up) wouldn't love to create their very own slingshot out of PVC pipes?  We also love the idea of building our own crossbow out of household items too.  Even better, many items are built using paint stirrers or other thin woods, removing the need for specialized tools to construct them.

Both books could be part of a great Christmas present this year!  Rather than screen-based presents, give the gift of creativity and imagination.  Gift Duct Tape Engineer along with several rolls of fun patterned duct tape or Rubber Band Engineer along with rubber bands, paint stirrers, and clothes pins, and see what your child creates.  Perhaps the books can inspire their own creations and the next great idea.

Disclosure: Quarto Group sent us copies of both books for the purposes of this review.  All opinions are our own.

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