What Handy Hands

Empower your students to design with purpose in this hands-on Years 5 & 6 HPE and Design and Technology unit focused on empathy, innovation and real-world problem-solving. This unit invites students to explore how assistive devices support people with limb differences and the importance of human-centered design. 

Guided by the design thinking process, students begin by building empathy and understanding who assistive devices are for and why they matter. They then explore how these devices are created through a real-world case study with Free 3D Hands, before generating their own ideas, building prototypes and testing their designs against clear success criteria. Along the way, students apply creativity, critical thinking and collaboration to solve a meaningful challenge.

Through designing, making and evaluating, students develop practical design skills while strengthening their understanding of inclusion, accessibility and human-centred design. This unit brings learning to life by connecting classroom creativity with real people, real needs and real impact, showing students how thoughtful hands can make a big difference.