The Makedo Design Journal is a creative companion for young makers. It’s a guided workbook that helps kids (and their grown-ups) plan, build, and reflect on their cardboard creations — encouraging design thinking, storytelling, and playful learning from start to finish.

The Design Journal is perfect for:

⦿  Kids aged 5–12 years old

⦿  Families who love crafting and building together

⦿  Teachers, homeschoolers, and workshop facilitators

⦿  Anyone using Makedo kits who wants to go deeper into the how and why of making

It supports both solo makers and team collaborations.

Because making is more than just building — it’s about thinking, experimenting, and discovering.

The Journal helps kids:

Visualise and plan before building

Problem-solve and adapt as they go

Reflect and celebrate their effort

Build confidence as creative thinkers

It’s a simple way to support STEAM learning, critical thinking, and collaboration — without taking away the fun.

Absolutely. The Design Journal works beautifully in educational settings:

⦿  Supports design & technology, art, STEM, and literacy

⦿  Fits into project-based or inquiry-based learning

⦿  Makes student thinking visible for reflection, assessment or display

It’s flexible enough for short tasks or term-long projects, and reusable across multiple builds.

Nope! The Journal encourages drawing, labelling, circling, colouring, and storytelling in any form. Younger makers can complete it with adult help, or focus on visuals instead of text.

It’s about creative expression and refining ideas — not perfect spelling or fine art.

Anyone over the age of four can Makedo. If you are able to imagine that a cardboard box can be something other than ‘a box', then you have just earned your License to Makedo!

General recommendations:

Children aged 4+ can make with the assistance of an adult.
Children aged 7+ can make independently.
Children 3 years or younger are not advised to have unsupervised access to Makedo.

Older siblings, parents, neighbours and friends are all encouraged to join in too!

What can you make? What can't you make! 

With Makedo cardboard construction tools, makers of all ages can join cardboard together quickly, cleanly and easier than ever before.

To see some of the fantastic ideas for creations from Makedo makers across the globe, head to our Inspiration HUB.

Makedo strives to support children and adults all over the globe to become 21st century thinkers!

We believe when people are making and playing freely they are solving problems, exploring new ideas, stretching their imagination, developing new skills, testing their limits, tapping into their instincts, collaborating and innovating.

These are all good things and we want to foster more of it.