There is plenty to celebrate about students’ learning experiences with 3D design and 3D printing this year. So with Christmas just around the corner, let’s celebrate the upcoming festive season with our top ten Christmas design challenges for students using 3D design and 3D printing.Â
All of the 3D images in this post are designs by students created using Makers Empire’s 3D design app. Want to see more designs and/or view them in 3D? Simply go to the Makers Empire gallery and search under ‘Christmas’.
1. Design a Decoration
Challenge students to design and print an original decoration for their family’s Christmas tree. The design needs to represent something important to their family and can be easily hung on the tree.
2. Fairy Lights Fix
Identify problems that student’s families have had with Christmas tree lights. Maybe they are always in a tangled mess, the dog chewed through the wires? The design challenge is for students to design a solution in 3D to address the problem and possibly improve the Christmas light design.
3. A Star is Born
Starting with a star shape in the Shaper Module, how many different Christmas themed designs can students come up with?
4. The Gift of Giving
Have students design and 3D print gifts to donate to a Christmas charity. Designing gifts for different people, particularly those with specific need and problems, is a great way to help students develop empathy through an authentic design thinking experience.
5. Christmas Crackers
What would students like to find in their Christmas crackers this year? The challenge is to design and 3D print and awesome Christmas cracker prize and to come up with the funniest joke to include in a Christmas cracker.
6. Design a Symbol
Ask students to research different symbols related to Christmas or other significant holidays. Students choose a symbol and design it in 3D.
7. Link It Up
Forget paper chains this year, challenge students as a class to design links that can be 3D printed and joined together. How long can they make this 3D chain? The chain could double up as a Christmas card holder.
 8. Hanging Hack
Challenge students to design a new improved way to hang decorations on a Christmas tree.
9. Christmas Cheer
In groups students design a Christmas scene where each member of the group is responsible for an element of the overall scene. This might be Santa and his reindeers, or a nativity scene, for example.
10. Christmas Wreath
As a class, design and print a collaborative 3D wreath for the classroom door. Students each design a component of the wreath to be 3D printed. As a class, students decide how to assemble everyone’s designs into a wreath.
Makers Empire’s Lesson Ideas are free, quick and easy ideas to get you started with 3D design and printing. We hope you enjoyed this post.
Mandi Dimitriadis
Mandi Dimitriadis, DipT. is an experienced classroom teacher who recognises the power of technology to enhance teaching and improve educational outcomes. Mandi has extensive experience with curriculum development and learning, having previously developed programs for the Australian Government’s Department of Education. She is passionate about Design Thinking and how best to prepare today’s students for the future.
