Conduct a Tinkercad Workplane Tour
Give a guided Tinkercad workplane tour: move and rotate the view, place and adjust shapes, explain tool functions, and demonstrate workspace navigation.
About this activity
Give a guided Tinkercad workplane tour: move and rotate the view, place and adjust shapes, explain tool functions, and demonstrate workspace navigation.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Open your web browser, go to Tinkercad, and sign in to your account.
- 2
Step 2
Click the "Create new design" button to open a fresh workplane.
- 3
Step 3
Hold the right mouse button and drag to orbit the view around the workplane so you can see it from different angles.
- 4
Step 4
Scroll the mouse wheel or use the zoom buttons to zoom in and out on the workplane.
- 5
Step 5
Hold the middle mouse button or two-finger drag on your trackpad to pan the view across the workspace.
- 6
Step 6
Click the Workplane tool and then click a face or spot on the grid to set a new workplane orientation.
- 7
Step 7
Drag a Box shape from the Shapes panel onto the workplane.
- 8
Step 8
Click the box and point to or say aloud what the size and height fields show in the shape properties panel.
- 9
Step 9
Click a corner handle of the box and type new width and length numbers to resize it precisely.
- 10
Step 10
Use the curved rotation handles on the box and type an angle to rotate the box to a specific degree.
- 11
Step 11
Press Ctrl+D or click the Duplicate button to make a copy of the box.
- 12
Step 12
Hold Shift and click each box to select both objects at the same time.
- 13
Step 13
Click the Align tool and choose center alignment to line the two boxes up perfectly.
- 14
Step 14
Click the Group button to join the aligned boxes into a single object.
- 15
Step 15
Take a photo or screenshot of your finished Tinkercad tour creation and share it on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I conduct a Tinkercad workplane tour with my child?
To run a Tinkercad Workplane Tour, open a Tinkercad design and have the child narrate each step: show how to move and rotate the view with the ViewCube, right‑mouse drag, or touch gestures; demonstrate zoom and pan; drag shapes onto the workplane and snap them to the grid; resize and rotate using handles and the ruler; explain group, hole, duplicate, and align tools; change workplanes and save or export the model.
What materials do I need for a Tinkercad workplane tour?
You need a computer or tablet with a modern browser and internet, a free Tinkercad account, and a mouse or trackpad (mouse recommended for precise rotation). Optional items include an external keyboard for shortcuts, headphones for narration, a simple checklist or script for the tour, and a webcam or screen share tool for live demonstrations. A printer is optional if you plan to print guides.
What ages is a Tinkercad workplane tour suitable for?
This activity suits children aged about 8–14 for independent use, since they can learn basic 3D navigation and simple editing. Younger kids (5–7) can join with adult guidance, focusing on dragging shapes and observing changes. Teens and older students can explore advanced features like the ruler, alignment, grouping, and prepare designs for 3D printing or classroom projects.
What are the benefits of doing a Tinkercad workplane tour?
Benefits include stronger spatial reasoning, improved fine motor control from precise clicks and drags, and vocabulary growth as children explain tools like group, hole, and align. Leading a tour builds communication, sequencing, and confidence. It also introduces design thinking, problem solving, and basic digital fabrication concepts, encouraging curiosity in STEM and future maker activities.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
I don't have a mouse—how can I orbit, pan, and zoom the workplane like in steps 3–5?
Use the on-screen View Cube and Orbit tool or two-finger gestures on a trackpad to orbit and pan, and use the zoom buttons or pinch-to-zoom to zoom in/out as alternatives to the right/middle mouse buttons described in steps 3–5.
The Align or Group buttons are disabled or my boxes won't line up—what should I check?
Confirm you selected both boxes by holding Shift as in step 12 so the corner handles appear, then use the Align tool (step 13) and click Group (step 14); if precise size typing doesn't apply, click the size field and press Enter.
How can I adapt this Tinkercad tour for younger or older kids?
For younger kids, simplify to dragging a single Box onto the workplane and taking a screenshot (steps 8 and 15), while older kids can set exact width/length, rotate by degrees, duplicate, and create complex grouped models using steps 11–14 or export for 3D printing.
What are simple ways to enhance or personalize my finished design before sharing on DIY.org?
After grouping your aligned boxes (step 14), add colors or extra shapes from the Shapes panel, use the Workplane tool to orient new parts, and take a screenshot with a short caption about your design before sharing on DIY.org (step 15).