Playground Design Challenge

Engineers solve real problems by comparing solutions against what matters most. Pick a playground problem, set your priorities, score three design options, and recommend the best one.

Guided Experiment: Engineering Design Challenge

Which solution do you think will score highest? Why?

Write your hypothesis in the Lab Report panel, then click Next.

Controls

1

Choose the Playground Problem

2

Set Your Priorities

How important is each criterion to you? Use the buttons to set a weight from 1 (not very important) to 5 (very important).

Safety
How much does it reduce injuries?
3
Cost
How affordable is it?
3
Ease of Use
Can kids use it easily?
3
Durability
Will it last a long time?
3
3

Compare the Solutions

Each solution is rated 1 (poor), 2 (ok), or 3 (great) on each criterion. Your weights are applied to find the best overall score.

SolutionSafetyWeight 3CostWeight 3Ease of UseWeight 3DurabilityWeight 3Total
★Add rubber grip strips3 - Great2 - OK3 - Great2 - OK30
Build a covered canopy2 - OK1 - Poor2 - OK3 - Great24
Replace with a climbing wall2 - OK2 - OK2 - OK3 - Great27
Ranking (best to worst)
  1. 1Add rubber grip strips
  2. 2Replace with a climbing wall
  3. 3Build a covered canopy
4

Make Your Recommendation

Based on the scores and your priorities, which solution should the school choose? Explain your reasoning.

Data Table

(0 rows)
#SolutionCriterion 1Criterion 2Criterion 3Criterion 4Weighted Total
0 / 500
0 / 500
0 / 500

Engineering Design Reference

The Engineering Design Process

Engineers follow a process to solve problems step by step:

  1. Define. What is the problem? Who does it affect?
  2. Research. What do we already know? What constraints exist?
  3. Brainstorm. Come up with as many solutions as possible.
  4. Compare. Evaluate each solution against your criteria.
  5. Test. Try the best solution and see if it works.
  6. Improve. Make changes based on what you learn.

Design Criteria and Constraints

Criteria are the goals a solution must meet (for example: "must be safe" or "must fit in the budget").

Constraints are the limits on a solution (for example: "must cost less than $2,000").

Good engineers clearly define both before comparing solutions. Otherwise it is hard to know which one is really best.

In this lab, the weights you set represent how important each criterion is to you. A higher weight means that criterion matters more.

Weighted Scoring

A weighted score multiplies each solution's rating by how important that criterion is, then adds them all up.

Score = (rating1 x weight1) + (rating2 x weight2) + ...
Example:
Safety: 3 x 5 = 15
Cost: 2 x 3 = 6
Total = 21

This helps you compare solutions fairly when some criteria matter more than others.

NGSS Connection

This lab connects to the Next Generation Science Standards for grades 3–5:

  • 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem that reflects a need or want
  • 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare solutions based on criteria and constraints
  • 3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests to identify failure points and improve solutions

The engineering design process is not a one-time event. Engineers keep improving their solutions based on new information.