Hinges let parts open and close — Design, 4–6 years
A hinge connects two parts while letting one turn around a fixed line. This makes doors, lids and boxes easy to open and close.
A hinge is a turning connection
A hinge holds two parts together but does not make them rigid. One part can turn around the hinge while the other stays in place, like a door turning beside its frame.
Why use a hinge?
A separate lid can get lost, while a fixed lid can get in the way. A hinge solves both problems: it keeps the lid attached and lets it move aside when we need to reach inside.
Make a paper hinge
Cut two card rectangles, each 10 centimetres long. Put them side by side and join them with one strip of sticky tape along the back. Fold the tape line: the cards stay connected, but one can open and close like a lid.
The hinge trap
It is easy to think that a hinge lets a part move in every direction. It does not: it guides the part around one line, like a gate swinging on its pins. Too much sideways force can bend or break it.
Hinges in everyday life
Hinges are used on doors, cupboards, pencil cases, lunch boxes and toy chests. They are a good choice when two parts must stay together but one part needs to swing out of the way.
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