What’s the Future?
Design and build a miniature future city model using recycled materials, draw plans, add inventions, and present how they solve everyday problems.
Step-by-step guide to design and build a miniature future city (What's the Future?)
Step 1
Gather all the Materials Needed and set them on a clear workspace so everything is easy to reach.
Step 2
Pick a theme for your future city and give it a fun name to spark your imagination.
Step 3
Draw a simple bird's-eye map of your city on the drawing paper showing where buildings roads parks and invention zones will go.
Step 4
Think of three inventions that would solve everyday problems in your city and write each invention name on a sticky note.
Step 5
Build at least three different buildings using cardboard toilet paper rolls and plastic containers by cutting and attaching pieces with glue or tape.
Step 6
Decorate each building using colouring materials and add clear features like windows doors and rooftop gardens.
Step 7
Make your inventions from bottle caps lids and small recycled parts so they can fit into your city.
Step 8
Place each invention in the spot on your map where it belongs so the layout matches your drawing.
Step 9
Write a one sentence label for each invention explaining how it solves a specific everyday problem and stick the label next to the invention.
Step 10
Practice a short explanation that introduces your city names each invention and tells how each invention solves a problem.
Step 11
Share your finished miniature future city model on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have cardboard toilet paper rolls, plastic containers, or bottle caps for the buildings and inventions?
Use folded cereal-box cardboard or a paper-towel tube and small yogurt or takeout cups instead of toilet-paper rolls and plastic containers, and swap bottle caps and lids for buttons, beads, or punched cardboard circles when you make your inventions.
My buildings keep falling apart when I cut and attach pieces—how can I fix that so they stay up while I decorate windows, doors, and rooftop gardens?
Reinforce joins with strong tape or a dab of hot glue, mount each building to a cardboard base so they don't tip over, and let glue fully dry before adding colouring materials or rooftop gardens.
How can I adapt this activity for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger kids, pre-cut cardboard pieces, limit to two simple buildings, and have a parent help with glue and scissors while they draw a basic map, and for older kids, require a scaled bird's-eye map, measure building footprints, write longer invention explanations beyond the one-sentence labels, and add small circuits or motors to the inventions.
What are easy ways to enhance or personalize our future city so sharing it on DIY.org is more fun?
Add LED lights with coin batteries, simple motors for moving parts, a legend on your bird's-eye map, fabric or clay rooftop gardens, and tiny photos or figures to make each invention's one-sentence label demonstrable during your short explanation.
Watch videos on how to design and build a miniature future city (What's the Future?)
11. Imagine the future world - Educational video for Kids
4 Videos
11. Imagine the future world - Educational video for Kids
Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future | Joe Ruhl | TEDxLafayette
The Future of Education: 2035 Trends
Skills Every Child Will Need to Succeed in 21st century | Dr. Laura A. Jana | TEDxChandigarh
Facts about urban planning and sustainable design for kids
♻️ Over 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated worldwide each year — that's a huge source of materials for recycled models!
🏙️ A "smart city" uses sensors and data to improve things like traffic, lighting, and waste collection — some cities already track trash bins and streetlights automatically.
🌿 Green roofs and trees in city designs can help cool streets and absorb rainwater — adding plants to your model shows how nature solves city problems.
📐 Model builders often use scales like 1:100 or 1:50 — at 1:100, 1 cm on your model equals 1 meter in real life, which makes planning easier.
🔋 Tiny solar panels can power LEDs and small motors on a model; even a small panel can light up a whole miniature street on a sunny day.
How do you do the "What's the Future?" activity?
What materials do I need for a miniature future city?
What ages is the "What's the Future?" activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of designing a future city with recycled materials?
One subscription, many ways to play and learn.
Only $0 after trial. No credit card required