The "Un-Toy" Invention Lab · Connected Through Play

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The "Un-Toy" Invention Lab

Toys with buttons have a "correct" way to be played with. That’s fine for entertainment, but it’s "low-ownership" for the brain. Let’s explore using things that have no instructions. While this was written with 3-6 year olds in mind, you can adapt for any age.

1. Create an "Invention Lab." Find a box and fill it with "loose parts,” things like old keys, sponges, rags, plastic lids, buttons, scraps of construction paper, a cardboard tube, and some masking tape.

2. Tell them: "The Toy Factory is closed. This is the Invention Lab. I need to see what these things can become."

3. Observer Role: Sit back. If they look at a sponge and don't know what to do, stay silent. Let them sit in the "boredom" for a minute until their brain sparks.

4. The Expansion: If they stay stuck, offer a "Master Builder" challenge: "I need a way to get this spoon from the table to the floor without using my hands. You own the design."

Your Turn: What was the weirdest "invention" that came out of the box today?

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