Build It! …….

Build It! provides a collection of wooden planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts, bolts and rope for visitors to build whatever they can imagine. There are no right or wrong answers; the act of playing and building is the goal, not the finished product.

UNSTRUCTURED PLAY

Rigamajig invites unstructured exploration of real materials where children think three dimensionally, create physically, and work collaboratively.

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Children exercise critical thinking skills as they engage in creative problem solving. Children are thinking about and solving complex problems using a host of skills including engineering concepts, estimating distance and height, calculating loads and testing the force of gravity.

TRIAL AND ERROR

Step back and let children go through the process of experimenting with materials and different ways of building. The trial and error process is a valuable experience and supports the development of a healthy comfort level with taking risks. Process is more important than product.

SUPPORT CHILDREN BY…

…letting them take the lead and guide their own learning. Encourage, ask open-ended questions, and brainstorm if invited. But remember, “When you teach a child something you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself.”