Toy Invention

In this curriculum, students invent, prototype, and build a toy for kids in their school community. Students explore toys from around the world and share toys that their families play with at home. Students research existing toys for kids in grades 3–5 and how they are made. Students invent with their end user, not for the end user; the design journey involves human-centered design principles, whereby an individual user from their school community is identified before concepts are developed to address the specific likes and dislikes of the user. Finally, ideas are presented to the rest of the class, as well as the end user.

Students gain both minds-on and hands-on skills in this Toy Design and Invention unit. Minds-on skills include understanding the prototyping process and the engineering design process. Hands-on skills include soldering, building circuits, constructing with cardboard, and other general prototyping skills and hardware and software integration. Students will learn what it means to be creative thinkers and will practice inventive thinking as they progress through the unit.