Architecture is always fun for kids. they see it everywhere but don't really think about it. This book made it relatable, but also was a good opening for the young readers to want to learn more.

Adventures in Architecture for Kids by Vicky Chan is a phenomenal book for children. I think this book might be best suited to upper elementary and older children, but it could definitely be used with young children if guided by an adult. Is your child interesting in building and how things work? This book brings architecture alive in such a unique way. With amazing illustrations and real projects that kids can do themselves, this book is unique and perfect for inspiring creativity in your kids. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations and my son loved it so much that he asked for a hard copy for Christmas. These opinions are entirely my own.

Adventures in Architecture for Kids: 30 Design Projects for STEAM Discovery and Learning by Vicky Chan offers readers a world of possibilities for learning math, engineering, history, social studies, planning, geography, art, and design. It includes hands-on projects that allow kids to experiment, design, build, succeed, fail, and try again. Complete building challenges with corrugated cardboard and geodesic forms. Look at how designers have solved impossible problems of gravity and space with creations such as suspension bridges, the Loretto helix staircase, and Brunelleschi’s dome. Explore how materials can be used in interesting ways—how paper can go from flimsy to structural, for instance. Participate in family game playing: client and design team—finding creative ways to meet a client’s wish list. Use games to test strength, balance, and structure. Engage in pure imaginative archi-doodling.Explain the why. Why did styles evolve as they did? What technology was available when?

Adventures in Architecture for Kids is a well organized and visually appealing book. I found the layout and instructions to be easy to understand and follow, and the images chosen to match the content and intent perfectly. I liked that the materials used in the activities were all things that were likely to already be in the home (or school) or easy and inexpensive to get. I also liked that the notes to adults were interesting, informative, and could easily lead to further instruction or discussion about the project, not just the mechanics of it but sometimes the practical history and application of the architecture involved. I did like that an index and glossary were included at the end of the book, but I would have loved to see a page of resources at the end of the book for further reading and research.

I think this book would be a fantastic addition to a home library for families with members that are interested in projects like this, and homeschooling families. I think it would be a valuable resource in school and public libraries as well.

The publisher's blurb is a good set of clues as to the workings inside this book. It begins with learning to reverse engineer the reader's own home and then reconstruct a model to scale using simple elements usually found at home (no concrete or 2x4s!). Then it moves on to exotics found in the tropics (along with rationale for style) and even ICE! Then comes the designs for areas subject to flooding, earthquakes, and more. We even get a glimpse into HVAC and wind turbine design and construction. Everything in this book is planned to be hands on with an interested adult and looks like fun! There is even a section dedicated to landscape architecture (think Central Park or Kew Gardens). I am kind of fanatic about enjoying architecture while on walkabout or while riding in a car, but I never tried to replicate anything like the exercises in this book. Can't wait until the grands return in the summer so we can try some of this stuff!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from
Quarto Publishing Group – Rockport Publishing/Rockport Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!

I have a ten year old who has just decided he would like to become an architect when he grows up, so I couldn’t resist requesting “Adventures in Architecture” for us to read together.

I am so glad I did! There are a ton of activities to introduce you to the field and the materials will easily be found around the house- like paper, pasta or even ice. The steps for each project are concise, clear and easy to follow.. Subjects covered are general construction, architecture and history, landscape architecture, sustainable architecture and city planning. It really whet my child’s appetite and as soon as they finished an activity, they were keen to get started on the next project.

It’s the perfect book for a science lesson in school or a rainy day at home.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Dare I say this book builds from the ground up? Well, that's its firm intention, anyway – getting us all thinking in very STEM-subject ways about our lived environment. First off (beyond an introduction so woke it felt like the press release sent to teachers on behalf of this volume, and not for the target audience at all), we're making plans of our rooms at home, and then constructing our first model, based on those plans. Then it's 'what can we make with spaghetti struts and lasagne sheets?', 'what can we make out of triangular forms?' and we're away, letting our imagination run riot (which as we had no line about knife safety before this is hopefully the only running involved).

Transport hubs, zoos, habitats ready for Tatooine – they're all here, and all on well-done four-page exercises. The photos of the key steps may be small but are fine and clear, as is the description of the project's process and intent, but here, once more, this is a book that is speaking to the tutor or adult involved. Every idea has at least one box-out addressing the adult in the room, suggesting things to discuss once the making's made, drumming in the need for ecological considerations, even at this small scale, and implying what STEM subjects are at hand every time.

But I expected something a bit freer. It's only the last couple of mapping-a-city exercises where we're not restricted to what the project looks like. I know a lot of them are discussing concepts – airflow, water retention, daylight, etc – but I felt there should have been a way for a bright child to run off with those ideas and make their own constructs, which of course they can do, only not for the fulfilment of anything here. What's left then is just the building blocks – which are fine and necessary, but they're gasping to be put to use. Still, there is depth here, and the time all the projects will take would fill many a rainy afternoon, and with something much more educational than the standard crafting session. So perhaps four stars are justified.

This book organizes a plethora of great activities by basic concept with short explanation on architectural theory and easy to follow steps. Activities may require adult supervision and/or assistance. Concepts covered include construction, architecture throughout history, landscaping, sustainability, and city planning. Illustrations and photographs are numerous and provide helpful examples for kids to start with and develop on. This resource is a great starting point for designing STEAM activities with kids with notes on topics to tie into discussion or further reading.