59 resources
Design & Technology
Free printable design & technology resources for primary and elementary teachers — no sign-up required.
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Design & Technology — 59 free resources
Cooking & Nutrition — Knowledge Organiser (KS1-KS2)
Single-page reference for KS1 and KS2 cooking and nutrition. Covers food groups, healthy eating, where food comes from, basic kitchen skills and food hygiene. Aligns with the cooking and nutrition strand of D&T.
Mechanisms Knowledge Organiser — KS2 Design Technology
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on mechanisms — levers, linkages, cams, gears, and pulleys. How each works, where they are found in everyday objects, and how to incorporate them into DT projects.
Structures — Knowledge Organiser (KS1-KS2)
Single-page reference for KS1 and KS2 structures. Covers what makes a structure strong, types of structure, materials, joining techniques, and stability. Aligns with the structures strand of D&T.
Electrical Systems in DT Knowledge Organiser — KS2
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on electrical systems — simple circuits, series and parallel circuits, switches, input and output components, and programming simple control systems.
Textiles — Knowledge Organiser (KS1-KS2)
Single-page reference for KS1 and KS2 D&T textiles. Covers fabric types, basic stitches (running stitch, back stitch, over stitch), joining techniques, and designing soft products. Aligns with KS1-KS2 D&T textiles strand.
Pop-Up Card Templates — 3 Designs
Step-by-step instructions and cut-and-fold templates for 3 pop-up cards: a simple box pop-up, a V-fold flower, and a multi-layer castle. Suitable for any occasion or DT unit on mechanisms.
Woven Paper Placemat — Paper Weaving Craft
A beginner weaving project using strips of coloured paper — creates a checkerboard placemat. Introduces over-under weaving technique, pattern, and colour planning. Links to DT and art.
Kitchen Safety Rules for Primary Cooking Lessons
A printable classroom poster and pupil checklist covering the 12 essential kitchen safety rules for primary DT cooking lessons — hygiene, knife handling, heat safety, and allergen awareness.
No-Cook Recipes for KS1 — 5 Simple Recipes
Five no-cook recipes suitable for Reception and KS1 DT lessons: fruit skewers, bread and butter, hummus and pitta dippers, simple salad, and banana smoothie. Each has a child-friendly instruction card.
Design a Healthy Sandwich — KS1/Lower KS2 DT Project
A complete one-lesson DT mini-project: pupils design, make, and evaluate a healthy sandwich. Includes the design brief, ingredients planning sheet, and evaluation questions.
Bread Making — DT Lesson Plan (KS2)
A full one-session bread-making lesson for KS2 — simple white bread rolls requiring only basic equipment. Includes the lesson plan, step-by-step pupil instruction card, and evaluation questions.
Food Groups & The Eatwell Guide — KS2 Resource
A printable resource explaining the five food groups, the Eatwell Guide proportions, and what each food group provides nutritionally. Includes a design-your-own-meal activity.
Seasonal Food Calendar — UK Fruit & Vegetables
A printable month-by-month guide to seasonal UK fruit and vegetables — what's in season when, why eating seasonally matters, and a recipe idea for each season.
Packaging Design Project — KS2 DT
A full DT packaging design project — pupils research existing packaging, identify design features, and create their own packaging for a food product. Research sheet, design template, and evaluation included.
Cooking Vocabulary Reference Card
A printable A5 reference card for primary cooking lessons — 30 key cooking verbs with child-friendly definitions and illustrations. Fold and laminate for individual use in DT sessions.
Pneumatic Toy Design Project — KS2 DT
A complete KS2 DT project on pneumatics — how air pressure creates movement. Pupils design and build a simple pneumatic toy using syringes, tubing, and card. Includes design brief, planning sheets, evaluation criteria, and teacher notes.
Bridge Engineering Challenge — STEM KS2
A structured STEM engineering challenge where pupils design and build the strongest possible bridge from limited materials (lolly sticks, card, string). Includes brief, design planning sheet, fair test criteria, and cross-curricular maths extension.
Packaging Design: Nets and 3D Shapes
A KS2 DT project on packaging design — how nets fold into 3D shapes. Pupils design packaging for a product, create a net, build and evaluate. Links to maths (3D shapes, nets) and art (graphic design). Includes design brief and evaluation sheets.
Electrical Circuit Lighthouse Project — KS2
Design and build a working model lighthouse with a circuit using a battery, bulb, and switch. Full DT project plan with design, make, and evaluate stages. Links to science (circuits) and geography (lighthouses, coastal geography).
Pop-Up Book Mechanisms Project — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT project exploring book mechanisms — flaps, slides, pivots, and pop-ups. Pupils design and make a mini pop-up book using four different mechanisms. Perfect cross-curricular link to English (narrative) and maths (angles and movement).
Food Science & Nutrition Knowledge Organiser — KS2
A KS2 DT and science crossover knowledge organiser on food science — nutrition, the Eatwell Guide, food groups, cooking changes, hygiene, and the science of why food tastes, looks, and behaves the way it does.
Architecture & the Built Environment Knowledge Organiser
A KS2 DT and geography crossover knowledge organiser on architecture — key architects, structural principles, architectural styles across history, and sustainable building.
The Design Process Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on the full design process — research, design brief, development, making, evaluating, and iterating. A transferable framework for all DT projects.
Mechanisms & Movement Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on mechanisms — levers, pulleys, gears, cams, and linkages. How they work, where they're used, and how to apply them in design and make projects.
Textiles & Sewing Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on textiles — fabric types, sewing techniques, decorative methods, fastenings, and designing for a user. Links to the DT national curriculum making strand.
Structures & Bridges Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on structures — types of forces (compression, tension, torsion), how triangles add strength, bridge types (beam, arch, suspension, truss), and how to design and test a load-bearing structure.
Food Technology Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on food technology — food groups, cooking methods, following a recipe, hygiene and safety, and how food is grown, processed, and marketed.
Textiles & Fashion in Design Technology — KS2 Knowledge Organiser
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on textiles — fabric types, weaving and joining techniques, embroidery, printing on fabric, and how to plan and make a textile product from design brief to evaluation.
CAD & Digital Design in DT — KS2 Knowledge Organiser
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on Computer-Aided Design (CAD) — what it is, how it is used in industry, 2D and 3D design tools, digital making (3D printing, laser cutting), and free tools for primary schools.
Packaging & Product Design — KS2 DT Knowledge Organiser
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on packaging and product design — nets, 3D shapes, materials selection, labelling requirements, sustainability, and designing a product with user needs in mind.
Sustainability & Materials in DT — Knowledge Organiser
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on sustainability — the lifecycle of products, materials and their environmental impact, reduce/reuse/recycle, biodegradable vs non-biodegradable, and designing for sustainability.
Cooking Science — Why Food Changes When We Cook It — KS2
A KS2 DT/science knowledge organiser on the science of cooking — Maillard reaction, caramelisation, emulsification, why eggs cook, how bread rises, and the basic chemistry that happens in the kitchen.
Pneumatics & Hydraulics Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on pneumatics (compressed air) and hydraulics (compressed liquid) — how they work, real-world examples, and how to build simple pneumatic mechanisms.
Computer Control & Automation Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on computer control and automation — sensors, actuators, flowcharts, feedback loops, and real-world examples from traffic lights to smart homes.
Food & Nutrition Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on food and nutrition — the Eatwell Guide, macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), micronutrients, food labelling, food processing, and planning a healthy meal.
Textiles in DT Knowledge Organiser — KS2
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on textiles — fibres and fabrics (natural vs synthetic), joining methods (stitches, bonding), decorating techniques, pattern templates, and planning a textiles product.
Mechanisms & Gears Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on mechanisms — levers, pulleys, gears, cams, cranks, and how mechanical systems transmit and transform movement. Real-world examples throughout.
Packaging & Graphic Design Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on packaging and graphic design — 2D nets, labelling requirements, typography, colour and branding, and how packaging communicates.
Cooking & Baking in DT Knowledge Organiser — KS2
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on cooking and baking — basic techniques (mixing, kneading, rubbing in), key terms, food hygiene, equipment, and how recipes are designed.
Mechanisms — Levers & Linkages Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on mechanisms — types of lever, the principle of moments, linkages (parallel, reverse), and how mechanical systems can be applied in DT projects.
Nutrition & Healthy Eating Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT/PSHE
A KS2 knowledge organiser on nutrition and healthy eating — the Eatwell Guide, macronutrients and micronutrients, reading food labels, and how food is grown and processed.
Product Analysis & Evaluation Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on product analysis and evaluation — how to analyse an existing product (ACCESS FM), the design cycle, user testing, and how real products are designed.
Packaging & Mechanisms in DT Knowledge Organiser — KS2
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on packaging design and pop-up mechanisms — net designs, structural packaging, cam mechanisms for pop-ups, and designing for sustainable packaging.
Electronics — Simple Circuits Knowledge Organiser — Year 5/6 DT
A Year 5/6 DT knowledge organiser on electronics — circuit components, schematic symbols, series and parallel circuits, switches, LEDs, and designing for a product.
Materials Selection Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on materials — wood, metal, plastic, fabric, and ceramics — their properties, how to choose the right material, and sustainability of materials.
Programmable Systems in DT — Y5/Y6
A Year 5/6 DT knowledge organiser on microcontrollers, inputs and outputs, BBC micro:bit, flowcharts, and designing a product with a programmable component.
Textiles & Fashion Design — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on textiles — stitches (running, cross, blanket), fabric types, pattern making, sustainable fashion, and fashion designers.
Electrical Circuits in DT — KS2
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on electrical circuits — series and parallel circuits, components (batteries, bulbs, buzzers, motors, switches), and building working circuits in DT projects.
Materials & Properties Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on materials — wood, metal, plastic, textiles, paper/card — their properties, appropriate uses, sustainability, and how to select materials for a DT project.
Digital Design Tools Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT/Computing
A KS2 DT/computing knowledge organiser on digital design tools — vector vs raster graphics, CAD basics, image editing, presentation design principles, and how designers use digital tools.
Nutrition & Cooking Skills Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on cooking skills — knife skills, heat methods, reading recipes, food hygiene, and the progression from Year 1 to Year 6 in cooking.
Making a Simple Garment — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on making a simple textile product — design brief, pattern, cutting, joining techniques, finishing, and evaluation.
Invention & Innovation Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on invention and innovation — the history of key inventions, the difference between invention and innovation, patent systems, and what makes an inventor.
Sustainable Design Knowledge Organiser — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on sustainable design — the circular economy, lifecycle analysis, eco-design principles, and how designers are addressing environmental challenges.
Design Brief & Specification Template — KS2 DT
A reusable KS2 DT worksheet for completing a design brief and specification — who is it for, what must it do, constraints, criteria, and initial sketches.
Digital Fabrication & Modern Materials — Upper KS2 DT
An upper KS2 DT knowledge organiser on digital fabrication — 3D printing, laser cutting, smart materials, and how technology is transforming what designers can make.
Advanced Mechanisms — Cams, Gears & Pulleys — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on advanced mechanisms — cams, gears (spur, worm, bevel), pulleys, and how mechanical advantage works in real machines.
Product Evaluation & Consumer Testing — KS2 DT
A KS2 DT knowledge organiser on product evaluation — user testing, sensory evaluation, comparative evaluation, and how real companies test products.
Designing for Healthy Eating — KS2 DT/PSHE
A KS2 DT/PSHE knowledge organiser on designing food products for health — nutritional analysis, portion sizes, allergen labelling, and reformulation.