Young kids are accustomed to playing with toys. Using toys to build a robot can turn an otherwise intimidating task into an enjoyable project. Use a remote control car or truck as the working mechanism of the robot and then use connecting blocks to build the body. An adult can remove the upper portion of the vehicle to allow kids to build the body of the robot.
Ask young children to invent a robot that will do a specific job or perform a specific task. Have children make a drawing that shows what the robot looks like and then ask them to make a presentation in front of the class to detail what the robot's function is and how it works to perform it.
Alternately, kids can make a 3-D model of their robot invention. Let them use toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes and other simple materials to build their bots.
Purchase a robot building kit at a toy store or where model airplanes and cars are sold. These robot building kits include everything needed for young children to build their own working robots. The kits come in a variety of styles and different skill levels to accommodate the abilities and tastes of everyone. Have young kids work together in groups and with adult supervision when building robots.
Ask young kids to draw a picture of their favorite robots. Some engineers consider any machine that performs a task on its own to be a robot. Under this definition, a child can draw a picture of a toaster, coffee pot or a self-moving vacuum cleaner.
Have young children dress-up as robots. They can create their own costumes by making robot masks out of a brown paper grocery sack. Children can add bottle caps to represent buttons and use crayons and markers to add detail. Have the children explain what type of robot they are dressed up as and what task they perform.