Year 1 D.T. – Bringing Our Moving Animals to Life

This week in Design Technology, Year 1 took the next exciting step in their moving toys project. After sketching their favourite animals last week, the children revisited their drawings and began deconstructing them into separate parts — heads, bodies, wings, legs, tails and more. This helped them think carefully about which parts will move on their final design.

The classroom was full of focus and fine‑motor determination as the children cut out each part with growing accuracy. They then used butterfly pins to join the pieces together, experimenting with how joints work and testing where movement should happen. It was wonderful to see them problem‑solve, adjust and refine their ideas, just like real designers.

This hands‑on session supported their fine motor development, strengthened their understanding of mechanisms and helped them visualise how their finished moving animals will work. The pride on their faces as their creatures began to wiggle, flap, twist or stomp was a joy to see.

We’re excited to continue building on this learning as the children move towards creating their final moving toy later this term.