Architectural Engineering Kit for Teens | Knowledge Crates

THIS MINI SHIPS 4.1.26

This architecture kit for teens is a hands-on way to explore architectural engineering, design thinking, and drawing skills at home—without a screen and without a pieced-together supply list. Built for ages 14+, it combines real model building, architecture reading, and step-by-step sketching so kids can learn how structures work and how architects communicate ideas visually. If your teen loves design, engineering, city skylines, or “how does that stay up?” questions, this kit gives them a clear path to learn architectural concepts through doing.

At the core of the kit is the Thames & Kosmos Architectural Engineering STEM experiment kit. Students step into the role of architect and engineer as they build from basic structural elements (like trusses, arches, and domes) to large, complex models and real-world inspired builds. The kit includes 20 guided model builds and a 44-page, full-color manual that explains the engineering principles behind planning and developing buildings and structures. It’s designed to be hands-on and exploratory: build the guided models, then use what you learn to design your own challenges—tallest tower, longest bridge, or most stable dome. This is the kind of STEM architecture kit that makes concepts like forces, stability, curves, and angles feel concrete because your teen can test ideas, make adjustments, and see results immediately.

To support the “why it works” side of architecture, this kit also includes DK Big Ideas: The Architecture Book. It’s a strong companion for homeschool architecture because it helps students connect their building practice to the bigger story of architecture—ideas, styles, and influential structures—so the hands-on builds don’t feel isolated. Pairing a build-focused engineering kit with an architecture reference helps teens think like designers, not just builders: they start noticing purpose, form, and constraints, and they learn to describe what they’re seeing in real structures.

Drawing and visual communication are a major part of architecture, so this kit includes Draw Like an Artist: 100 Buildings and Architectural Forms by David Drazil, plus a drawing pad and pencil set. The book is packed with more than 600 step-by-step sketches of buildings, bridges, towers, monuments, and architectural forms from around the world. Students practice essential art and architecture skills like proportion, perspective, spatial relationships, line structure, shading, and detail. Each drawing sequence goes from early sketch lines to a finished drawing, making it ideal for teens who want a clear “do this next” format. It’s also a useful reference for repeated practice, so students can build confidence over time instead of treating drawing like a one-and-done assignment.

For a satisfying, precision-based challenge, the kit also includes Metal Earth models: the Chrysler Building and London Bridge, plus a 3-piece Metal Earth tool kit (clippers, flat nose pliers, and needle nose pliers). These metal model builds are a great fit for teens because they require patience, careful reading of directions, and steady hands—skills that translate well to both engineering and drafting. They also make excellent display pieces when finished, which helps with motivation (because teens like a final product that feels legit).

This kit works well for homeschool high school electives, enrichment, project-based learning, or a teen who wants a new hobby with real skill-building. It blends architectural engineering, architecture history and ideas, and architectural drawing in one clear, hands-on experience. Use it as a focused unit over several weeks, a semester-long elective, or a flexible “work at your own pace” project that your teen can come back to between other subjects. However you schedule it, the skills are practical: building structures, understanding design constraints, and communicating ideas through sketches.

Additional Information: Items may vary based on availability. Crates contain products not manufactured by the seller and may include small parts. Not suitable for children under 3 years. Contents are not for consumption. Adult supervisor for scissors is required.