Taking something apart to see how it works
Design & Technology · Early Years · The School
What is hidden inside
A wind-up toy looks simple from the outside. Inside, hidden parts make it move. A spring. Small gears. A little wheel. None of that shows from the outside at all. You have to open it up to see it.
Opening it safely
Only open something with an adult's help. Use a safe, old toy that nobody needs any more. Go slowly. Look at each part before you move it. Some tiny parts can be sharp or easy to lose.
Gears turning gears
Inside many wind-up toys, one small gear turns the next gear, which turns the next. That is how ONE twist of a key can keep something moving for a long time afterwards. Turn one gear gently and watch the others move too.
Wind up an old toy and watch it move. Now, with an adult, carefully open its case. Look for a spring, wound up tight. Look for small gears, each with teeth that lock into the next one. Turn the biggest gear very gently. Watch the smaller ones spin faster. That is exactly what happens when you wind the key: one spring pushes one gear, which pushes the next, all the way out to the part that actually moves. None of that was visible from the outside, closed up.