Foster the Architect in Your Child

Do you know a child that loves to build things? Is your home littered with Legos, Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys? Are there 3D puzzle structures of the Eiffel Tower and Golden Gate Bridge covering every surface of the home? It could be your child is a budding architect and, maybe, even the next Frank Lloyd Wright. When a child displays an avid interest in something like architecture or engineering, the interest should be encouraged. Give him or her an engineering notebook and teach the child how to use it. It could be a stepping-stone to a wonderful and satisfying career.

Architecture and engineering are fields that will never become obsolete. The world will always have a need for creative minds and new inventions. As the world’s population continues to swell, the need for creative housing designs to accommodate the growing numbers will become more important. Smaller, more efficient cars and forms of transportation will be needed. There may even be a need to develop life support and communities on other planets and moons. The architects and engineers of tomorrow are the block-builders of today. This is not to say that any child should be pushed toward a particular career, but if an interest exists, it should be fostered.

If the child is old enough to write and make simple designs, an engineering notebook could be a wonderful gift. It will familiarize the child with the process of developing plans and ideas, recording thoughts and making notes in the same way the industry does. It can also be used as a diary, of sorts, to record the ideas and dreams the child might one day develop into something more tangible.