Discover a need in your community
Explore your neighborhood to find a local need, interview people, list problems, and design a simple community project or helpful solution to test.
About this activity
Explore your neighborhood to find a local need, interview people, list problems, and design a simple community project or helpful solution to test.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Ask an adult for permission to explore your neighborhood.
- 2
Step 2
With that adult choose a safe time to go exploring.
- 3
Step 3
Gather the materials from the list and put them where you can reach them.
- 4
Step 4
Choose one street or area you want to investigate.
- 5
Step 5
Walk through the chosen area with your adult and look carefully for things that could be better.
- 6
Step 6
For each thing you notice write one short sentence about the problem in your notebook.
- 7
Step 7
With your adult talk to at least three friendly locals and ask them two short questions about neighborhood problems.
- 8
Step 8
Write each person’s answers in your notebook so you can compare what people said.
- 9
Step 9
Back at home read all your notes and circle the top three problems that came up most.
- 10
Step 10
For each top problem write one simple idea that could help fix it.
- 11
Step 11
Choose the easiest idea to test and make a short three-step plan and a materials list for it.
- 12
Step 12
Build a small prototype or mock-up of your idea using common household items.
- 13
Step 13
Test your prototype with permission in the neighborhood and write one thing that worked and one thing to improve.
- 14
Step 14
Improve one thing on your prototype and test it again to see if it gets better.
- 15
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org and include a short description of the problem it fixes and what you learned.
Fun facts
How do I help my child explore our neighborhood to find a local need and design a simple community project?
Start by choosing a safe route and framing a simple question like “What would make this place better?” Plan observations and polite, short interview questions. With an adult, walk the route, take notes or photos, and ask neighbors about local problems. List recurring issues, brainstorm small, testable solutions, sketch a simple plan, build a quick prototype (poster, cleanup, sign), try it, then reflect and thank participants.
What materials do we need to explore our neighborhood and prototype a community solution?
Bring a notebook or clipboard, pencils, a smartphone or recorder (with permission) for short interviews, and a camera or phone for photos. Pack a neighborhood map, measuring tape, basic craft supplies (paper, markers, tape) for quick prototypes, printed permission slips if needed, hand sanitizer, water, comfortable shoes, and an adult supervisor. Optional items: sticky dots for voting, poster board for displays, and a folder to organize findings.
What ages is this community-needs exploration activity suitable for?
This project suits children aged about 5 to 16 with adult guidance. Ages 5–7 can observe, draw, and help list needs while accompanied by an adult; 8–11 can ask prepared questions, record simple observations, and co-design small solutions; 12–16 can lead interviews, map issues, develop prototypes, and coordinate testing with parental permission. Adjust complexity, time, and supervision to each child’s maturity and local safety rules.
What are the benefits of having children explore neighborhood needs and test a community project?
Exploring community needs builds empathy, communication, observation, and problem-solving skills. Kids learn civic awareness, teamwork, and confidence by talking with neighbors and testing solutions. It encourages responsibility, project planning, and public speaking while creating measurable local impact. Families strengthen community ties and model civic engagement. Short debriefs after tests help children reflect on lessons and next steps, reinforcing learning and pride in helping others.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of a paper notebook or special craft supplies if they are hard to find?
Use a smartphone or tablet notes app or printed sheets to record each short sentence instead of the notebook, and substitute common household items like cardboard, tape, rubber bands, and empty containers from the materials list to build your prototype.
What should we do if people refuse to talk when you try to talk to at least three friendly locals?
If locals won't talk during the walk, have your adult arrange brief follow-up chats, or record visible signs of problems and write them in your notebook so you still have notes to compare.
How can we change the activity for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children let the adult scribe each short sentence and build a very simple prototype with glue and cardboard from the materials list, while older kids can create a detailed three-step plan, take photos during interviews, and build a sturdier prototype to test.
How can we extend or personalize the project after testing and improving the prototype?
Extend the activity by iterating the prototype with new items from your materials list, collecting more feedback from neighbors, documenting before-and-after photos and a short video, and sharing the final creation and lessons learned on DIY.org.