Up next

This week was all about testing. We challenged the kids to build chain reaction structures - so called Rube-Goldberg machines. A pendulum swings into a ball, which rolls down a slope, which tips a domino train down, which hits a roll of tape, which sends a toy car off the edge of the table, which lands onto a …well you get the idea. There are an infinite range of design possibilities. This class provides a great opportunity to test them.

If we're lucky they work first time. But more likely the design needs a bit of tweaking.

This chute was made out of paper plates curled into scoops with duct tape. Their placement in a zig-zag down the wall is interesting but creates some challenges around reproducibility.

These cascading shelves work well and there's an alternative back-up route just in case the ball shoots the wrong way. 

Liked this winch design used to start the chain reaction machine.

This design uses multiple levels from table to floor.

Maybe these wheels and axles can be used to roll along this channel.

Traditional domino chains are good to turn the path around a corner.

 Lots of teamwork was in evidence for this class. Testing a chain reaction machine -which auto-triggers with a tiny vibration- requires patience and cooperation.

These workshops are made possible  by the Toronto Arts Council.

Talking pops!

This week we entered the world of book arts with  pop-up book design. Who doesn't love the delight of opening a great pop-up book?

As Montreal pop-up artist Natalie Draz says "there's no such thing as a new fold in pop-up design. It's basically all about the remix." Our pop-up session included the classic pop-up fold: the talk box (aka the mouth fold).

Kids and adults alike love the talk box. Because it's easy to make and because it immediately evokes a snapping mouth. It's a great introductory fold because it gently leads our young paper engineers into "thinking with their hands". For pop-up art, the paper must be coaxed into the form.

Once constructed, the talk box can be modified. Jagged teeth are popular. As are wagging tongues…

A talk box might conceal a secret hideout for the reader to discover...

With this page made we started to construct a storybook. Some students want to keep adding pages at home. Some kids added text others preferred more of a comic format, but either way storytelling and design narrative started to merge.

The tale of the mystic Lily Pad

These workshops are made possible  by the Toronto Arts Council.

Midway at the K

Roll up! Roll up! It's carnival time at Invention Squad. What better way to beat off the grey weather than to design a great fair game and play it with your friends? This was definitely the funnest, wackiest session yet. We challenged the kids to make a transportable/foldable set-up and to test it by playing it with their friends and parents. This is cardboard prototyping and design by play- a natural for kid experimenters.

Time for testing. This is a two person pool game, where players battle to pot balls into opposing pockets using cues made out of straws.

This is part of a multi-component racing game. After manoeuvring a ball through a maze, players compete to net baskets.  The prize is concealed in a series of pots. Testing allows our young designers to reconfigure and recallbrate their games. Perhaps it's too difficult. Maybe it needs to be sturdier.

In this tossing game, two players aim balls at the progressive targets and their stick moves along the racecourse.  Loads of action, lots of laughs.

These workshops are made possible  by the Toronto Arts Council.