Jr Engineers Cardboard Builders Lab
🛠️ New Saturday Programme

Jr Engineers:
Cardboard Builders Lab

Build it. Test it. Own it.

A 12-session weekly engineering lab where children aged 7–12 design and build 8 real, functional arcade games from scratch, culminating in an exciting Cardboard Games Olympics tournament.

Enrol Now → Try a $20 Trial First
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Schedule & Duration
Every Sat · 12 Sessions · Jul–Sep
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Time
9:00–10:30am (1.5hr)
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Builds
8 Arcade Games
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Ages
7 to 12
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Class size
Max 6 students
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Location
Explorer Junior @ Ubi
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Entry point
$20 trial available

Programme Overview

One brief. Eight builds.
One epic finale.

Every Saturday morning, children receive a simple open brief: build a working machine from scratch using raw cardboard and engineering tools. Following a structured prototyping journey — Structure → Mechanism → Play & Test → Design Thinking — they master real-world physics concepts with their hands, completely replacing passive weekend screen time.

Student working on pinball machine

Programme Highlights

Three tracks. One journey.

1
Structure Essentials
Sessions 1–4 · July 2026 · Master core leverage, forces, and structural foundations
Basketball Launcher Session 1 · 4 Jul
Basketball Launcher
Build a miniature basketball court with an engineered shooting arm to launch pom-poms accurately into a paper hoop.
⚡ Levers & Forces · Fulcrum points, launch angles, trajectory
Tabletop Football Session 2 · 11 Jul
Tabletop Football
Build a responsive 2-player football pitch where mechanical moving figures strike a soccer ball into the net.
⚡ Elasticity & Energy · Spring-back tension using rubber bands
Pinball Machine Sessions 3–4 · 18 & 25 Jul
Pinball Machine
Engineer spring-loaded launcher lanes, physical obstacles, and functional flippers into one complete board.
⚡ Angles & Layout · Ricochet physics, trajectory optimisation
2
Play & Test
Sessions 5–8 · August 2026 · Balance, geometry, and structural tolerance
Tilting Maze Sessions 5–6 · 1 & 8 Aug
Tilting Maze
Construct a mechanical labyrinth with manual wheel controls that tilt the board dynamically left, right, up, and down.
⚡ Centre of Gravity · Balancing platforms on pivot joints
Bee Sorting Maze Session 7 · 15 Aug
Bee Sorting Maze
Design a cascading sorting board that automatically filters different sized objects into their correct scoring trays.
⚡ Geometry & Spatial Tracking · Precise path clearances
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Photo coming soon
Session 8 · 22 Aug
Burrowing Game
Build a high-velocity target-drop game inspired by classic retro arcades, testing continuous rapid mechanical play.
⚡ Structural Integrity · Reinforcing cardboard to absorb impact
3
Mechanisms & Finale
Sessions 9–12 · Aug–Sep 2026 · Chain reactions, independent design thinking, and the big tournament
Candy Machine Sessions 9–10 · 29 Aug
Candy Machine
Build a multi-step gravity candy dispenser with a mechanical slider gate that releases treats on command using a marble-drop sequence.
⚡ Slopes & Chain Reactions · Multi-stage mechanism sequencing
Cardboard Games Olympics Sessions 11–12 · Starting 5 Sep
The Grand Finale
Cardboard Games Olympics
Armed with all 8 builds, children use Design Thinking to blueprint, iterate, and customise an original arcade machine from a blank slate — then compete in a class tournament. Families are invited to join the finale and play the games their children invented.
🎉 Families invited to the Finale!

Why Cardboard Builders Lab

Other Saturday activities teach children to follow instructions.
Jr Engineers teaches them what to do when there are no instructions.

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Practical problem-solving
No tests, no drilling. Children learn to evaluate failure safely, test their own theories, and build genuine creative confidence — especially when designs do not work the first time.
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Hands-on over screens
Physical building develops spatial reasoning and structural thinking that screen-based learning simply cannot replicate. Every session, your child makes something real.
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Sustainable materials
Everything is built from raw cardboard — one of the most sustainable and versatile engineering materials. Children take their builds home at the end of every session.
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Intentionally small cohort
Strictly capped at 6 students. Every child gets genuine mentor attention — not a room of 20 where only the loudest voices get noticed. Drop-off is optional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as the June holiday Cardboard Builder Lab?
No. The June holiday workshop is a one-off session. Jr Engineers is a 12-session progressive weekly programme where each session builds on the last, covering 8 different arcade machines and culminating in the Cardboard Games Olympics. Think of the June workshop as the spark — Jr Engineers is what happens next.
Do I need to stay during the session?
Drop-off is completely optional. Parents are welcome to stay and watch — many do for the first session. But most tell us they ended up using the time for themselves because their child was so absorbed in building that they forgot anyone else was there.
What should my child bring?
Just themselves and a water bottle. All materials, tools, and equipment are fully provided and included in the session fee. Children take their finished build home at the end of every session.
Is the $20 trial separate from the full term fee?
The $20 trial is a single all-inclusive session — materials included, no hidden fees. If your child loves it and you decide to continue, the $20 is credited directly toward full term enrolment. There is no obligation to continue.
Is there a sibling discount?
Yes — siblings enrolling together receive a discount. WhatsApp us at +65 8863 6067 and we will share the details with you directly.
What if my child misses a session?
WhatsApp us and we will do our best to arrange a make-up session or catch-up brief. Because the cohort is small, we can be flexible in a way that larger programmes cannot.
Where exactly is the venue and is there parking?
Explorer Junior is located at 304 Ubi Ave 1, Singapore 400304. Accessible by MRT (Ubi station, Downtown Line) and by bus. Parking is available in the building.