Imagine giving your child access to the workshop of the greatest carpenter, the lab of the greatest scientist, or the war room of the greatest strategist. How much would you pay for that kind of experience? What would they learn? How would they be inspired?
That workshop already exists. It’s right outside your front door.
Nature isn’t just a place to observe moon phases or memorize types of trees. It’s the original engineering lab—the blueprint behind every invention humans have ever created. Nature is the plant, sown by the Master Gardener, from which all human innovation springs.
You don’t need a robotics kit to teach your kids to think like engineers. Just take them outside. Seriously. Step into your backyard, and you’ve entered a living laboratory.
Tree bark? It’s a repeating pattern with a protective purpose. Dragonfly wings? Lightweight, aerodynamic, and mathematically brilliant. Burrs stuck to your socks after a hike? A sticky little miracle of design that inspired Velcro.
Creation isn’t just beautiful. It’s functional. It’s efficient. It’s full of intentional patterns—and none of it is an accident. Every leaf and feather and fin whispers about a Creator who loves order, design, and beauty. As Romans 1:20 says,
“Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…”
In other words: the more our kids study what God made, the more they’ll understand Him. After all, God isn’t just the best engineer, he invented engineering.
In the rest of this article, we’ll explore real world inventions inspired by nature and talk about how to help your child view the world through an engineer’s eye.
Let’s dive in.
Nature: The Original Patent Office
When we say that nature inspires innovation, we’re not being poetic. We’re being literal. Engineers, inventors, and scientists have been borrowing ideas from creation for centuries—because nature has already solved most of the problems we’re still trying to figure out.
Here are just a few incredible examples of biomimicry (a fancy word for “copying God’s genius”):
- Velcro was invented after a Swiss engineer noticed burrs stuck in his dog’s fur. Under a microscope, he saw tiny hooks grabbing on to loops of hair and fabric. That observation became the blueprint for hook-and-loop fasteners.
- Passive cooling systems in buildings were modeled after termite mounds, which stay perfectly climate-controlled year-round thanks to a brilliant natural venting system.
- Drones got a quiet upgrade after scientists studied how mosquitoes fly. Their weird wing-flapping pattern helped engineers design stable, low-buzz drone flight.
- Hospital surfaces and even swimsuits have been inspired by the texture of shark skin, which naturally resists bacteria thanks to its micro-patterned surface.
- Wind turbines became more efficient when designers mimicked the bumpy fins of humpback whales, which reduce drag and increase lift—turns out, great for swimming and energy efficiency.
- Bullet trains once caused mini sonic booms when exiting tunnels. The fix? Engineers copied the shape of a kingfisher’s beak, which slices through air and water with barely a ripple.
- Self-cleaning surfaces like windows and raincoats were inspired by lotus leaves, which repel water and dirt thanks to their unique surface structure.
- Spider silk, stronger than steel by weight, has influenced research in medical sutures, biodegradable fishing lines, and even bulletproof material.
- And those shimmering butterfly wings? Their microscopic structure reflects light in color-shifting patterns—now used in anti-counterfeit banknotes and high-tech inks.
These aren’t flukes. These are engineers paying attention. Learning from what’s already been designed—and designed well.
How to Help Your Child Explore Engineering in Nature
It’s actually not that hard… Kids are naturally curious. They’ll notice a snail trail or ask why pinecones close when it rains. The key is training them to keep noticing—and to start asking the kinds of questions engineers ask:
- What problem does this solve?
- How does this structure help it work?
- Could we use this idea somewhere else?
Here are a few ways to build that habit:
Trade facts for questions
Instead of rattling off trivia (“That’s a monarch butterfly!”), try asking, “How do you think those wings help it fly so far?” Give them room to wonder and hypothesize—engineers start with curiosity, not a textbook.
Take slow walks
Observation takes time. Go on a “noticing walk” where the only goal is to see something new. Look at patterns, textures, shapes, and movement. Nature isn’t in a rush. Neither should you be.
Keep a nature sketchbook
Engineers draw what they study. Encourage your child to sketch what they find, label its parts, and jot down what they think it does. It’s part science, part art, and 100% attention-building.
Want help getting started? Check out John Muir Laws, the go-to expert on nature journaling. He even offers a free curriculum on his site—my kids and I are working through it right now.
Ask, “Where else have we seen this?”
That spiral in a seashell—does it remind you of anything? (A galaxy? A hurricane? A spiral staircase?) Making connections between natural patterns and human designs helps them spot engineering in the wild.
Invite them to create
Let them design their own “invention inspired by nature.” A swimsuit that mimics duck feathers? A tent that opens like a flower? Let ‘em go wild. Real engineers start with impossible ideas.
Try a guided nature journal
The truth is you don’t need anything to get you started. That said, if you want a screen-free, structured way to guide your kids in noticing the patterns, structures, and problem-solving built into creation, check out Patterns in the Park. It’s a nature journal designed to help kids observe like engineers—turning everyday walks into hands-on lessons in design, function, and innovation.
And remember, They’re not just playing in the dirt. They’re standing in the workshop of the greatest engineer who ever lived.
Final Thoughts
Innovation doesn’t start in a lab. It starts in a leaf. A wing. A seashell.
When kids step outside, they’re not just getting fresh air—they’re stepping into a living blueprint for every great invention. Nature is the original classroom for design, problem-solving, and wonder. And it points, unmistakably, to a Creator who made it all with purpose.
So the next time your child picks up a rock, chases a bug, or stares at the clouds… don’t rush it. Let them explore engineering in nature.