Design Busters

☎️ brring, brring! ☎️ Who ya gonna call for the latest design challenge?

We’ve put together loads of design challenges for you enjoy at home with your family.

Did you hear? Our free #DesignBusters activity book is now available to download and print at home!

This year we’ve shared nearly 20,000 copies with families all across the country through communities, family support charities, foodbanks, prison family visiting hubs, children's hospitals, libraries and schools.

Watch the latest video below or call our free Design Busters phoneline to hear the latest design challenge, then put on your thinking caps and help us solve the problem!

☎️ 0800 048 9968

All of our previous challenges are at the bottom of this page for you to try out. Join V&A Dundee’s gang of creative problem solvers and shows us what you can do, tag your favourites on social media using #DesignBusters

Listening to Joy

Design can be used to change the places we live, learn and play in.

Today's challenge is: Create your own soundscape or piece of music, inspired by the things that make you feel joy.

What kind of sounds can you hear around you that make you smile? What does play sound like? From natural noises, to music, bings and beeps, you can record all kinds of sounds then use a free app like BandLab to mix them all together into a unique soundscape.

Good luck!

Design Busters kit

Create your very own Design Busters kit by gathering some simple materials from around your home. The list below might give you some ideas, but use your imagination to create the best kit ever.

Kitchen

Paper straws, tin foil, baking paper, kitchen roll tubes, paper plates, magazines, doilies, pegs, twist ties...

Recycling box

Clean cardboard, milk cartons, plastic packaging, lids, cereal boxes, tin cans, junk mail...

Office

Paper clips, blutac, tape, glue, pencils/pens/crayons, old jotters, hole-punch, post-its...

Around the house

Newspapers, gift wrap, tissue, playdoh, lego, broken toys, paint swatches...

Sewing box

Wool, thread, buttons, fabric scraps, ribbon, rounded scissors...

Garden or garage

Twine, twigs, pebbles, wooden lollipop sticks, netting, silver blanket...

Previous Challenges

Missed out on a previous challenge?

Photo of a small child holding the headset of a rotary telephone to his ear

Award Winning

We're joint winners for a Fantastic for Families and a Campaign for Learning Award for #DesignBusters 🎉