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A fun night at the Institute of Play

A fun night at the Institute of Play

Mar 16, 2018

We could not believe that these guys at the NYC-based Institute of Play actually call their jobs work! They spend their days helping schools create play-based learning curricula. When they came across 3Dux/design products, they had to try them out. Interested in feedback from their customers, they hosted a Made with Play event at their Chelsea NYC loft space and invited educators from across the NYC area to put our product to the test. 

 No pre-show jitters for us. We were excited to present our product to a room full of educators. After all, everyone was there to play.  

Ayana and Ethan Klein at the Made with Play event in NYC

The event started out with a meet-and-greet followed by an intro to our architecture sets. Then the ball got rolling (really). The group was divided into 5 teams. Each team was given it's own color set of connectors, scissors, straws, a hole puncher and a pile of recycled cardboard.

supplies for marble run contest

Each team had 30 minutes to create a functional marble run. 

teachers working on marble run at NYC made with play event using 3Dux/design connectors

marble run wip 3dux/design engineering feat

If that was enough of an engineering feat, we then added a unique twist to the exercise. The teams now had to connect all of their structures to create one giant marble run! This highlighted our product's potential as a team-building tool in the class room. Interestingly, assigning the group into color-teams was quite well received. Then asking the teams to then collaborate as one unit created a bit of turmoil. It took some time for the teams to figure out how to transition from competition to collaboration.  

team building with 3Dux/design

team building tool with 3Dux/design in the classroom

By the end of the challenge, we had a huge (mostly functional) marble run. 

final marble run with institute of play STEM and STEAM project for schoolsWe then spent some Q&A time with the team reviewing the potential uses for 3Dux/design products in the classroom. Here's what the educators came up with...

  • For early education- basic geometry, 3D spatial thinking, problem solving, socialization, executive functioning and open-ended creative play
  • elementary school- higher level geometry and engineering concepts, design thinking, problem solving and team-building
  • higher education- integration with technology classes, CAD, 3D modeling exercises, introduction to architecture, product design and  industrial design, prototyping, 
  • Extra-curricular activities, STEM and STEAM programs, science fairs, invention clubs, technology classes, architecture programs

 

 

Ayana Klein

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