Chomp Inventor's Workbook -- Turn Ideas into Real Inventions

The Chomp Inventor's Workbook is the ultimate hands-on guide for young makers, future engineers, and creative problem-solvers. Recommended for children aged 6 and above, it is packed with engineering principles, design techniques, spatial reasoning challenges, and interactive project prompts that help children develop essential STEM skills while bringing their own ideas to life. Used alongside the Chomp Maker Bundle, it gives children both the thinking tools and the making tools to take an idea from sketch to finished cardboard creation.

What's Inside

The workbook covers five core areas of maker and engineering practice:

• How to sketch like an engineer -- introduces children to the visual language of engineering drawing in a clear, accessible way
• Cardboard connection techniques -- step-by-step guidance on forming tabs, slots, and other structural connections used in cardboard construction
• Starter projects for spatial reasoning -- structured making challenges specifically designed to develop spatial awareness and three-dimensional thinking
• Design thinking project prompts -- open-ended challenges that encourage creative problem-solving and iterative design
• Engineering drawing pages -- dedicated pages for sketching out ideas before building, supporting the plan-make-evaluate cycle central to good STEM practice

How It Helps

The Inventor's Workbook is built around doing rather than reading. Its visual, activity-led format means children spend more time making, sketching, and solving than sitting with dense text -- which makes it a natural fit for children with dyslexia and dyspraxia who thrive when learning is practical, visual, and hands-on.

For Parents and Home Use

• Gives children aged 6 and above a structured pathway into engineering and making that does not require adult expertise to facilitate
• The project prompts and drawing pages mean children always have a starting point -- reducing the blank-page frustration that can block creative children
• Spatial reasoning activities support wider maths and science learning in a practical, enjoyable context
• Works seamlessly as a companion to the Chomp Maker Bundle -- children plan in the workbook and build with the tools
• Encourages independent thinking, planning, and making at home without screen time

For Schools and Classroom Use

• Directly supports STEAM learning and curriculum development across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
• Engineering drawing pages and design thinking prompts align with the design and technology national curriculum requirements for designing, making, and evaluating
• Cardboard connection techniques (tabs, slots, and so on) provide structured, teachable content for practical DT lessons
• Spatial reasoning starter projects support maths learning, particularly geometry and three-dimensional thinking, in a meaningful making context
• The visual, activity-led format supports differentiation and inclusive teaching for pupils with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other SEND needs
• Suitable for use in SEN intervention sessions where structured, practical activity supports engagement and skill development

Supporting Children with Dyslexia

Children with dyslexia frequently demonstrate strong visual-spatial thinking, creative problem-solving, and three-dimensional reasoning -- precisely the skills that engineering and making reward. The Chomp Inventor's Workbook is structured around these strengths. Its activity-led, visual format minimises dense reading while maximising doing, sketching, and designing. Engineering drawing pages give children a way to express and develop ideas visually rather than through written description. Project prompts are open-ended and creative, valuing divergent thinking over a single correct answer. For children with dyslexia, the workbook is not just an accessible resource -- it is one that plays directly to how they think.

Supporting Children with Dyspraxia / DCD

Children with dyspraxia / DCD often find open-ended tasks difficult to start and sustain without clear structure and physical anchors. The Inventor's Workbook provides both. Its step-by-step guidance on engineering sketching and cardboard connections breaks complex making processes into manageable, clearly sequenced stages. The spatial reasoning starter projects build the three-dimensional thinking skills that children with DCD often find challenging, in a structured and supportive context. The engineering drawing pages give children a defined space and a clear purpose for each sketch, reducing the organisational demand of starting a new design task. Paired with the physical tools of the Chomp Maker Bundle, the workbook gives children with dyspraxia a complete, scaffolded making experience from planning through to building.

Plan It. Build It. Invent It.

• Kid-safe cutting mechanism: recessed oscillating cutting head inside a metal safety guard - cuts cardboard but not fingers, hair, or clothing
• Suitable materials: cardboard up to 3mm thick (standard delivery boxes, cereal boxes), plus felt, fabric, and craft foam
• Not for: metal, wood, hard plastics, or materials thicker than 3mm
• Recommended age: 5 years and up (independently safety-tested against 3+ standards in the UK, EU, USA, Canada, and Australia)
• Fine motor support: requires only forward guiding and light downward pressure, suitable for children with dyspraxia/DCD
• Integrated worktop: flat cutting surface with measurement grid to support straight, accurate cuts
• One-button operation: single large activation button on the side, easy for small hands
• Sound level: roughly 70 to 75 decibels (similar to a household vacuum)
• Dust tray: built-in tray collects cardboard scraps automatically
• Dimensions: approximately 10 inches long x 10 inches wide x 4 inches tall (25 x 25 x 10 cm)
• Weight: approximately 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
• Power: 100 to 240V adapter included - UK plug ready, no converter needed
• Warranty: 1-year manufacturer warranty
• What's included: 1 x ChompSaw unit, 1 x handheld Hole Punch, 1 x handheld Scoring Tool, 1 x UK-ready power adapter, access to the Chompshop Learning Hub with video tutorials and project patterns
• Replacement parts: spare cutting heads available separately
• Safety certifications: ASTM F963, CPSC, CPSIA, and CA Prop 65 compliant; independently tested to UK/EU toy safety standards

Many children have brilliant ideas but no framework for turning them into something real. The Chomp Inventor's Workbook gives them that framework -- engineering sketching, cardboard connection techniques, spatial reasoning challenges, and open-ended design prompts, all in a visual, activity-led format that rewards doing over reading.

For children with dyslexia, it plays directly to visual-spatial strengths and creative thinking. For children with dyspraxia / DCD, it breaks the making process into clear, manageable stages with structured starting points that reduce the anxiety of the blank page. Paired with the Chomp Maker Bundle, it completes the loop from idea to invention.

Recommended for ages 6 and above. Suitable for home use and classroom STEAM learning.

What's in the Box

1 x Chomp Inventor's Workbook (printed activity workbook, recommended for ages 6 and above).

Curriculum Links

The Inventor's Workbook supports the following areas of the UK national curriculum:

• Design and Technology (KS1 and KS2): designing, making, and evaluating; understanding and applying principles of mechanisms and structures
• Maths (KS1 and KS2): geometry, spatial reasoning, and measurement through practical making activities
• Science (KS1 and KS2): working scientifically; exploring and problem-solving through practical investigation

The workbook is described by Chomp as suitable for STEAM learning and curriculum development.

Compatibility

The Inventor's Workbook is designed as a companion to the Chomp Maker Bundle and ChompSaw, but can also be used as a standalone activity and planning book for any cardboard or maker-based activity.

• What is the Chomp Inventor's Workbook?
  The Chomp Inventor's Workbook is a hands-on STEM activity book for children aged 6 and above. It covers engineering sketching, cardboard connection techniques (tabs, slots, and similar methods), spatial reasoning starter projects, design thinking prompts, and engineering drawing pages. It is designed as a companion to the Chomp Maker Bundle and supports STEAM learning at home and in school.
• What age is the Chomp Inventor's Workbook suitable for?
  The workbook is recommended for children aged 6 and above. Its visual, activity-led format makes it accessible for a wide age range, from early primary through to lower secondary school.
• Is the Chomp Inventor's Workbook suitable for children with dyslexia?
  Yes. The workbook is particularly well suited to children with dyslexia because its activity-led, visual format minimises dense reading while maximising doing, sketching, and designing. Children with dyslexia frequently have strong visual-spatial and creative problem-solving skills -- exactly the strengths the workbook is built around. Engineering drawing pages allow children to develop and communicate ideas visually rather than through written description, and the open-ended project prompts reward divergent, creative thinking.
• How does the Inventor's Workbook support children with dyspraxia?
  The workbook supports children with dyspraxia / DCD by breaking the making process into clearly sequenced, manageable stages. Step-by-step guidance on engineering sketching and cardboard connections reduces the organisational demand of starting a new project. The spatial reasoning starter projects build three-dimensional thinking skills in a structured context, and the engineering drawing pages provide a defined space and purpose for each design task, reducing the difficulty of beginning without a clear starting point.
• Does the Inventor's Workbook work alongside the Chomp Maker Bundle?
  Yes. The workbook is designed as a companion to the Chomp Maker Bundle. Children use the workbook to plan, sketch, and design their projects, then use the ChompSaw and accessories to build them. Together they provide a complete plan-make-evaluate cycle that mirrors real engineering practice and supports STEAM curriculum objectives.
• Can the Chomp Inventor's Workbook be used in school?
  Yes. The workbook supports STEAM learning and curriculum development and is suitable for use in design and technology, maths, and science lessons at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Its visual format and structured activities support differentiation and inclusive teaching, making it particularly useful for classes that include pupils with dyslexia, dyspraxia, or other SEND needs.
• What cardboard connection techniques does the workbook cover?
  The workbook includes guidance on forming cardboard connections including tabs, slots, and other structural joining methods used in cardboard construction. These techniques are directly applicable to projects built with the ChompSaw and the wider Chomp Maker Bundle.
• Do I need the Chomp Maker Bundle to use the Inventor's Workbook?
  No. The workbook can be used as a standalone activity and planning resource alongside any cardboard or maker-based materials. However, it is designed to complement the Chomp Maker Bundle, and the two work best together as a complete making system.