Young engineers take on a James Dyson Foundation challenge card.

Dyson's popular engineering challenges for children, with a festive fix!

The end of the school term is fast approaching. Days are darker, colder, and many pine for family activities to keep the festivities flowing at home. The James Dyson Foundation, Dyson’s charity, has gifts for parents and children alike; free, at-home engineering challenges for families, spruced up for the holidays.

Created for children, the Challenge Cards inspire inquisitiveness and fuel excitement about STEM subjects, teaching children to problem-solve by applying simple engineering principles to at-home activities.

After some Christmas creativity? Here are two additional challenges to try this holiday season, alongside five of the best 40 challenges from the original pack.

Dyson Newsroom

Download the festive challenges

Click here

Frosty the Snowcan

Beat Jack Frost to it and learn how to create indoor frost: using only ice, water and salt, it’s snow joke!
Christmas constructions

Put your architectural flair to the test and redesign Santa’s grotto with biscuits – the bigger the better, he doesn’t want Claus-trophobia!

Dyson Newsroom

Download the full set of 40 Challenge Cards

Click here

Share your creations

Share photos and videos of your challenges and creations on social media using #JDFChallenge. Don’t forget to tag @Dyson and @Jamesdysonfoundation so we can share your content.

Air quality learning materials

The Foundation launched ‘Engineering solutions: Air pollution’. It enables young minds to explore the global impacts of air pollution and understand how engineering and science can help us to find solutions. The problem-based resource contains a comprehensive student workbook, videos and a supporting pack, for parents or teachers. Find out more about the resource here.

James Dyson Award 2021

For design or engineering students and recent graduates, the James Dyson Award is an international design competition that inspires, encourages and celebrates budding inventors' new, problem-solving ideas – and provides a platform to launch them. Watch the global winners discover they won from James Dyson here.