Toy Hack

ENGINEERING TASK

Inspired by “The Most Magnificent Thing” by Ashley Spires

MATERIALS IN KITS

• Velcro dots
• Hot glue gun
• Screwdriver
• Art supplies

You can also use materials in your home (e.g., egg cartons, paper towel rolls, food boxes). One idea is to turn this into a scavenger hunt. You find more information on a later slide.

ENGINEERING TASK

You have been asked by a toy refurbish shop to brainstorm ways to give old toys a second life using electronic parts. Make a prototype that renovates, redesigns, and/or remixes an old toy. The prototype should change the look and feel of the toy, or the toy’s role in our life

RESEARCH

Read the book, The Most Magnificent Thing.

In the story, the girl makes several things. She also unmakes things before she created the most magnificent thing. Look at the pictures in the book. What do you notice about the different things she built?

How do you think others hacked and repurposed toys? Let’s watch a video to find out.

PLAN

Explore the toy using your four senses (vision, smell, touch, hearing). What can you do to change the look, feel, smell, or sound of the toy? Flip it, turn it, rotate it…

Then, TAKE IT APART!

PLAN

What does the toy do? What role does it play in your life? What can you do to give it a new role?

Who is this toy designed for? What can you do to make it useful for other people? Or something to enjoy (e.g., art)?

What context does the toy belong? What can you do to make the toy appropriate for another context? For example, think about a setting for a dinosaur. How might your hack the dinosaur to be something used in the bathroom? (Psst. A toothbrush holder.)

What material might we need that is not in the kit?

SCAVENGER HUNT

PLAN

One more thing…take some time to think about and discuss ALL your explorations and ideas. Write down and/or draw out your final plan for how you will give the toy a new life.

CREATE

It is time to refurbish the toy—give it a new and different use for others to enjoy.

TEST

Interview 2-3 people about your new toy.

1. How might you use this toy? What do you think the toy does?
2. Where and when would we use it?
3. What kind of emotion does this toy spark? Why?

 

IMPROVE

• What were other people’s reactions towards your new toy? Were their responses in agreement with your design intentions? Why or why not?
• What changes can you make to the new toy based on what you learned from the interviews?

Continue to re-create and re-mix the new toy based on the feedback.

 

SHARE THE FUN AND PASS IT ON!

Thank you for participating.

When you are done with this project, gift the book and the directions to your friend to make the idea of engineering something new.

TEST – OPTIONAL QUESTIONS

Planning the interview:

• Who should we interview about the new toy? Think about who would use the toy.
• Let’s add one more interview question. What else do we want to know about the toy?
• Maybe we should practice the interview. How will we start? Should we stand or sit? Should we encourage people to explore the toy using their four senses?
• When should we do this in the interview? How much time should you wait before asking another question?