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.”