I am not sure what two themes I am going to choose, but I have picked up a few ideas that I like. 

While living in space and planets is intriguing and an interesting topic to debate about, it is far in the future and can only be speculated about. Maybe this isn't the best theme for me to have chosen

To understand my topic more, I am searching for the different connotations and relations of the word.

"Kids can mould working musical instruments and robots using Technology Will Save Us' new interactive learning kits based on conductive dough."

"We hope that the Dough Universe will inspire our youngest generation to embark on a lifelong love of learning," continued Koby. "As a parent myself, it's important that toys are educational and help children through key developmental stages, ensuring that kids aren't just passive consumers of tech."

This product embodies my ideals for learning through play and experimentation: children are encouraged to explore and learn on their own, through tools, which are like building blocks through which they can simultaneously understand and create.

Dezeen. 2020. Latest STEM learning kits for kids combine technology and play dough. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/06/06/stem-learning-kits-kids-combine-technology-play-dough-universe-tech-will-save-us-design/. [Accessed 16 February 2020].

Alessandra Fumagalli Romario designed Imaginary Language to encourage creativity. Imaginary Language is a set of geometric objects that can be combined.

"My research is based on a psychological theory by Irving Biederman," Romario explained. "According to him, our brains are able to recognise objects by dividing them into geons, which are geometrical primordial shapes."

"I designed this system that allows the user to assemble those shapes and build up forms," she continued.

The set of simple shapes are designed to encourage creative play amongst children.

"For me, creativity is a really important value to learn," said Romario. "It was really nice to see children play with this game, and how different children assign different functions to even the same objects."

Basing these toys upon a psychological theory is interesting: I might also research into theories that I like, to ground/inspire my designs. 

Dezeen. 2020. Imaginary Language is a set of geometric objects that "foster creativity". [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/08/09/alessandra-fumagalli-romario-imaginary-language-rca-graduate-design/. [Accessed 16 February 2020].

Gadi Amit's studio New Deal Design has invented an Artificial intelligence-equipped toy to fight the "distraction economy" by nurturing children's attention spans.

Called Spot, the toy is geared at learning and discovery. It functions primarily as a handheld scanner that kids can point at an object around them — think a flower or a bird — to hear it talk back.

This design is interesting in that it encourages the child to pay attention to their surroundings and interact with them: a different kind of learning. 

Dezeen. 2020. New Deal Design uses AI to create Spot toy to encourages kids to be "in-the-moment". [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/24/spot-toy-new-deal-design-artificial-intelligence/. [Accessed 16 February 2020].

Cohen, D., 1993. The Development Of Play (concepts In Developmental Psychology). Routledge.

In keeping with our commitment to child‐centered programs, the design and development of Children's Gallery exhibitions and activities is guided by the following philosophical principles:

Learning begins with creative play.

Creativity builds self‐esteem, a necessary ingredient for success.

The spontaneous creativity within each child should be celebrated.

Children learn more in the company of adults they trust i.e. their parents, grandparents, relatives, guardians, friends and teachers.

Children explore the environment using all of their senses ‐ i.e., hands‐on activities provide opportunities to explore and learn.

Every child deserves access to a safe, stimulating and enjoyable learning environment.

Children's exhibitions are curated for children – not for adults.

To understand and appreciate other cultures is to build community harmony.

Children are important members of our community who should be encouraged to express and develop their ideas and views ‐ i.e., children should be seen and heard.

BARBARA, P. and LOUISA, P., 2015. Child‐centered Practice in Museums: Experiential Learning through Creative Play at the Ipswich Art Gallery. 3rd ed. Ipswich: The Museum Journal.

Mass education was the ingenious machine constructed by industrialism to produce the kind of adults it needed. The problem was inordinately complex. How to pre-adapt children for a new world – a world of repetitive indoor toil, smoke, noise, machines, crowded living conditions, collective discipline, a world in which time was to be regulated not by the cycle of sun and moon, but by the factory whistle and the clock.

The solution was an educational system that, in its very structure, simulated this new world. This system did not emerge instantly. Even today it retains throw-back elements from pre-industrial society. Yet the whole idea of assembling masses of students (raw material) to be processed by teachers (workers) in a centrally located school (factory) was a stroke of industrial genius. The whole administrative hierarchy of education, as it grew up, followed the model of industrial bureaucracy. The very organization of knowledge into permanent disciplines was grounded on industrial assumptions. Children marched from place to place and sat in assigned stations. Bells rang to announce changes of time.

Hack Education. 2020. The Invented History of 'The Factory Model of Education'. [ONLINE] Available at: http://hackeducation.com/2015/04/25/factory-model. [Accessed 18 February 2020].

"iPadThe perfect computer for learning looks nothing like a computer.

iPad is designed for complete freedom of expression and freedom of movement. With amazing apps and advanced built-in technologies, iPad can be anything students want it to be, and it has the power to create anything students dream up. Yet it’s so intuitive, they can immediately take an idea and run with it."

Technology designed to be as limitless as a child’s imagination.

The power and flexibility of iPad give students the freedom to explore and express new ideas whenever and wherever inspiration strikes. Mac has the power to bring their biggest ideas to life. And built-in apps and intuitive software create an incredibly personal learning experience for each student — one that can be as unique as each student.

Apple (United Kingdom). 2020. Education - Products for Learning - Apple (UK). [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.apple.com/uk/education/products/. [Accessed 18 February 2020].

Designer Maker User (2016-xx) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London. Permanent exhibition

Designer Maker User (2016-xx) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London. Permanent exhibition.

Designing Duggee (2020) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London. 15 - 23 February 2020.

Design Ventura (2020) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London. 14 February– May 2020.

PriestmanGoode presents Get Onboard: Reduce. Reuse. Rethink (2019) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London. Until1 March 2020

Material Innovation (2020) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London.

Designer Maker User (2016-xx) [Exhibition]. Design Museum, London. Permanent exhibition.

"Despite progress, more girls than boys still remain out of school - 16 million girls will never set foot in a classroom (UNESCO Institute for Statistics) - and women account for two thirds of the 750 million adults without basic literacy skills. "

"AS SOON AS GIRLS ENTER SCHOOL, THEY ARE UNDERESTIMATED"

UNESCO. 2020. Education and gender equality. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-and-gender-equality. [Accessed 24 February 2020].

Joseph Cimpian. 2020. How our education system undermines gender equity. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2018/04/23/how-our-education-system-undermines-gender-equity/. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

"Human Capital Theory posits that investing in education has a payoff in terms of higher wages."

World Bank Blogs. 2020. Why education matters for economic development. [ONLINE] Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/why-education-matters-economic-development. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

BIG – which has offices in New York, London and Copenhagen – was enlisted to design the school to suit the Montessori approach to teaching, a method that focuses on educating children through play and interacting with their environment. It also typically doesn't separate children by age.

In response, the firm's design centres around an open-plan classroom, installed with a series of furniture to suit activities ranging from play, reading, yoga, dance, athletics and martial arts.

"Playful and transparent, yet homelike and structured, WeGrow will nurture the child's education through introspection, exploration and discovery,"

"BIG's design for WeGrow seeks to undo the compartmentalisation often found in traditional school environments and reinforces the significance of engaging kids in an interactive environment,"

The more private nooks are likely to be used for "independent and collaborative interaction with materials" and "exploring subjects such as math, science, social studies and language arts", as outlined on WeGrow's website.

Dezeen. 2020. BIG's New York City school for WeWork encourages interaction and play. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/12/wegrow-big-wework-elementary-school-new-york-city/. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Inside the pod a multi-functional space will be used for live shows, workshops, science experiments, talks, film screenings and exhibitions. It is accessed from a bridge that connects to the first floor of the Blizard Institute building, where Centre of the Cell is located.

As the building was created to grow the visitor numbers to Centre of the Cell, especially children, it was important to make it stand out.

"It had to look different to capture the curiosity of the local community particularly local school children. The purpose of the building is to inspire the next generation about science and medicine," explained Rosello.

Dezeen. 2020. Will Alsop's Neuron Pod education centre opens at Centre of the Cell. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/19/will-alsop-neuron-pod-all-design-centre-cell/. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

About 56.6 million students will attend elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States (source).

• 50.8 million students in public schools
• 5.8 million students in private schools

Of the 50.8 million public school students (source):

• 1.4 million will attend prekindergarten
• 3.7 million will attend kindergarten
• 35.5 million will attend prekindergarten to grade 8
• 15.3 million will attend grades 9 to 12
• 4.1 million will attend 9^th grade, the grade students typically enter high school

The projected 50.8 million public school students entering prekindergarten through grade 12 in fall 2019 is expected to include (source):

• 23.7 million White students
• 13.9 million Hispanic students
• 7.7 million Black students
• 2.7 million Asian students
• 2.1 million students of Two or more races
• 0.5 million American Indian/Alaska Native students
• 0.2 million Pacific Islander students

About 30 percent of the students indicate they are bored due to lack of interaction with teachers and 75 percent report material being taught is not interesting.

"So, in a high school class, one out of three students is sitting there and not interacting with a teacher on a daily basis and maybe never," said project director Ethan Yazzie-Mintz.

The same reasons for boredom could explain high drop-out rates. In the survey, about 20 percent of students said they had considered dropping out of school, giving some of the following reasons: ?

• 73 percent said, "I didn't like the school."
• 61 percent said, "I didn't like the teachers."
• 60 percent said, "I didn't see the value in the work I was being asked to do."
• About 25 percent said, "No adults in the school cared about me."

"I think schools definitely need to pay a lot more attention to what students are thinking and the reasons why they're dropping out," Yazzie-Mintz said.

Students want more interactive classes and prefer activities that involve interaction with teachers and peers. More than 80 percent rated classroom discussion and debate at least "a little" and sometimes "very" exciting and engaging, and more than 70 percent felt this way about group projects. Just 52 percent said teacher lectures aren't engaging at all.

Students want less homework. More than 40 percent of students spend no more than one hour weekly on homework. And more than half took one hour or less each week to read or study.

Just 54 percent of middle schoolers and 46 percent of high schoolers think their studies are relevant

Engagement is higher in smaller schools, where 68 percent are engaged, compared with 57 percent at large schools.

“For many students, dropping out of high school is the last step in a long process of disengagement,”

Fast Facts: Back to school statistics (372). 2020. Fast Facts: Back to school statistics (372). [ONLINE] Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

livescience.com. 2020. Most Students Bored at School | Live Science. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.livescience.com/1308-students-bored-school.html. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Students are bored, many skip school, lack adult support: IU News Room: Indiana University . 2020. Students are bored, many skip school, lack adult support: IU News Room: Indiana University . [ONLINE] Available at: https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news-archive/4948.html. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Kate Stringer. 2020. Only Half of Students Think What They’re Learning in School Is Relevant to the Real World, Survey Says | The 74. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.the74million.org/article/only-half-of-students-think-what-theyre-learning-in-school-is-relevant-to-the-real-world-survey-says/. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

• #S4223 - 1 pack sea creature blow molding toys (72/pack) (8.76)
• # H47 - 1 pack dinosaur blow molding toys (72/pack) (8.76)
• 12/284 - Bubble tubes - to use with blow molding (3.95/doz)
• 20/154 - plastic jump ropes - extrusion & injection molding (5.99/doz)
• 39/1245 - small finger puppets - injection molding (9.99/6doz)
• 39/9600 - vinyl snakes - injection molding (5.99/4doz)
• 9/659 - mini insect erasers - extrusion (3.99/gross)
• 39/14 - plastic frog jumpers - injection molding (4.99/gross)
• 24/1204 - plastic smile rings - injection molding (4.99/4doz)
• 20/45 - plastic whistle bracelets - extrusion & injection molding (2.95/doz)
• 58/10 - vinyl dinosaurs - injection molding (11.99/96)
• 39/1689 - plastic magnifiers - injection molding (5.99/4doz)
• 57/9017 - 48" bead laces - extrusion (2.99/doz)
• 39/983 - porcupine balls - injection molding (7.99/6doz)

how toys are made : The University of Akron. 2020. how toys are made : The University of Akron. [ONLINE] Available at: https://uakron.edu/cpspe/agpa-k12outreach/lesson-plans/how-toys-are-made. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Extrusion:

Extrusion is a process that involves forcing a melted plastic through a "die" or nozzle. Dry plastic powder or granules are subjected to heat and pressure as they go through an extruder. As the plastic melts into a thick viscous material, it is forced through a die or hole in the shape of the finished product. The extruded material then lands on a moving conveyer belt, which carries the plastic into a stream of cool water or air. This allows the manufacturer to continually produce a product with a desired shape. Extruded pieces can then be cut to specific lengths. Examples of extruded products are auto trim, vinyl windows frames, house siding, pipes, tubing, fibers, films (bags, coverings and laminates), and coatings. More examples can be identified if the viewer looks for long, continuous pieces with a consistent cross-sectional shape. These pieces are typically cut to specific lengths so they may also show a sharp cut edge.

An extruder usually consists of a resin feeding hopper, a heated barrel, a constant rotating screw, a screen changer, and a die. Plastic resin is first fed into a funnel-shaped hopper. The hopper feeds the plastic into an opening channel of a screw rotating inside a cylinder. As the screw rotates, the plastic is forced forward by the screw flights (raised edges or threads). As it moves, it is heated, melted, thoroughly mixed, and compressed by the pattern inside the screw's channels. The melt finally passes through the screen to the die. The screen serves mainly as a filter for foreign material in the plastic. The emerging plastic is now formed in the shape of the desired product and allowed to cool. Problems that occur during extrusion include low output rate, dimensional stability, and imperfect edges.

Simple examples of extruders can be also found in the home. Meat grinders and cookie presses extrude meat or cookie dough through a die into a desired shape or size. A toothpaste tube extrudes toothpaste into a continual linear stream of paste.

how toys are made : The University of Akron. 2020. how toys are made : The University of Akron. [ONLINE] Available at: https://uakron.edu/cpspe/agpa-k12outreach/lesson-plans/how-toys-are-made. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Injection molding is the most important commercial method for transforming thermoplastics into useful products. A thermoplastic polymer is one that can be reheated and reshaped many times. Themoset plastics set in a desired shape and cannot be reheated and remolded. During the injection molding process, plastics are heated until they soften into a molten state. The melted plastic is then forced at high pressure through a nozzle into a cold mold. The plastic cools in the mold and takes on the mold's shape. Once the plastic is cooled, the mold opens and the product is released from the mold. The resulting product often needs no further work before being put into use since details such as ribs and screw threads can be formed during this process. Examples of injection molded items are cabinets for computers, computer screens, and computer keyboards, parts of plastic model or hobby kits, plastic bottle caps, brake and engine parts, reflectors and headlights, circuit breakers, toaster oven panels, power tool and lighting housings, and even tableware. These items can usually be identified by one or more of the following features: side parting lines or seams in an object formed where the two sides of the mold meet together, sharp corners, fine detail and precision, frequent flat areas, and the presence of a "gate". The gate looks like a dimple or bump of plastic. It is the entry point of the polymer melt into the mold cavity. The gate may be centrally located and a significant distance from the parting lines as in a waste basket, on the edge as in individual parts of a plastic model hobby kit, or submarine where the gate itself appears oval and is located below but near the parting lines.

how toys are made : The University of Akron. 2020. how toys are made : The University of Akron. [ONLINE] Available at: https://uakron.edu/cpspe/agpa-k12outreach/lesson-plans/how-toys-are-made. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

"The original teddy bears were made (on both sides of the Atlantic) with mohair fabric "fur" that was commonly used for upholstery, black leather shoe-button eyes, and excelsior packing as stuffing. In the 1920s, glass eyes were used, but both the glass and button eyes pulled off easily. In 1948, Wendy Boston patented a screw-in eye made of molded nylon. These were supplanted in the 1950s by plastic eyes mounted on stems and fastened securely to the inside of the fabric with grommets or washers. These safety eyes became standard by the 1960s."

"

Today's materials are most varied in fabric. Plushes made of many fibers are popular because they are fur-like. Early bears were made of mohair that consisted of Angora (goat's wool), sheep's wool, rayon, or silk. Today's plush may be wool, silk, rayon, nylon, other synthetics, or combinations of fibers. Velvet or velveteen (velvet made of cotton instead of silk or synthetics) is popular for its softness and range of colors. Fake fur fabrics are classics for modern bears. Fake fur is different from plush because it has a knitted instead of woven backing that is lightweight and flexible; the shaping of the fiber can eliminate sheen and closely resemble real fur with blended colors. Real fur can also be used for teddy bears, but fur bears are delicate and require special care.

Other fabrics like corduroy, denim, calico, terry cloth, and velour are also bear basics. They are selected for variety in producing durable bears of terry cloth for babies and cowboy bears of denim, for example.

Leather and suede (real or synthetic) produces handsome feet and paws. Felt can also be used for these and other features or for entire bears, but this fabric is not strong and tends to wear. Similarly, bears can be knitted or crocheted, but the resulting fabric stretches. Other raw materials include thread, embroidery floss for noses and other features, glue, Velcro™ for fastenings, and eye assemblies made of plastic and metal. Polyester stuffing has replaced the wood shavings used in the original teddy bears to produce products that are more durable and huggable. If the manufactured bears are clothed or decorated, a wide range of fabrics, ribbons, fasteners, and decorations (like eyeglasses for a Teddy Roosevelt bear) may be required."

The Manufacturing Process:

1. After the design is accepted, it is transferred to a blueprint from which paper patterns are made. The shapes are cut out and pinned to fabric. Many layers of plush may be stacked with the pattern pinned on the top, and a cutter with a blade much like a band saw is used to cut out many pieces at one time. Rows of workers sit behind industrial sewing machines. Each is responsible for one style of bear. He or she will assemble the small pieces first, add the eyes and grommet attachments to the face, and then stitch the parts together. The bears are inside out with their seams exposed and openings down the long seam in the back. Finally, the bears are pulled right side out and dispatched to be stuffed. The volume a worker produces depends on the type of bear; one may produce 35 to 45 baby bears in one day or eight or nine larger species.
2. The stitched bear is then stuffed. The manufacturer purchases polyester fiber in 500 lb (227 kg) bales in which the fiber is tightly packed. The fiber is dual density with a very fine fiber and a thicker, slightly wavy fiber; together, these fibers have the most desirable packing quality for stuffing animals. Because the polyester comes so tightly packed, batches of it are tossed into a picker, which is a barrel lined with spikes that fluffs the stuffing. The fluffed material is blown by air into a stuffing machine. These machines have evolved little since World War H, when the machines were used to stuff flight jackets for the United States Navy and Army Air Force. Air pressure blows the stuffing into the bear through a small diameter tube. The operator can manipulate the bear to direct the stuffing to various parts of the toy. A pedal release on the stuffing machine controls the puffs of stuffing. Two pushes on the pedal, for example, may be needed to pump enough stuffing from the machine's nozzle into the nose of the bear, which needs to be firm. The head, feet, and paws also need to be firm, but the body should be squeezably soft. The operator can always apply the "hug test" to evaluate satisfactory cuddliness and provide quality control from bear to bear.
3. The stuffed bear is then passed to another worker, a "bear surgeon," who stitches up the opening in the back of the bear. The whole bear is then groomed. Because the plush fabric was stitched inside out, "fur" is caught in the seams and must be pulled out so the seams do not show. An electrically powered wire brush is used to fluff the seams, and the bear is then blown through an array of air jets to remove the loose fuzz and brush the fur. Final details like costumes, ribbons, and accessories are added before the bear is packaged for transport and sale.

There are no byproducts from the manufacture of teddy bears, although there are co-products consisting of other types of stuffed animals and dolls. Small stuffed creatures are sometimes designed with pattern pieces to fit between bear segments so fabric is not wasted. Fabric scraps and errant stuffing constitute most of the waste from bear production, and this material cannot be recycled and is disposed.

How teddy bear is made - material, manufacture, making, history, how to make, used, parts. 2020. How teddy bear is made - material, manufacture, making, history, how to make, used, parts. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Teddy-Bear.html. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Blow molding consists of three major stages: melting or plasticizing the resin, forming a parison or preform, and inflating the parison or preform in a blowing mold to produce an end product. In the first and second stages, plastic pellets are melted and mixed under heat and pressure to form a tube called a parison or preform. Either extrusion or injection molding is used to form the parison. In the blow molding process, the parison is extruded into a cold mold and inflated with hot air. When the molten plastic touches the sides of the cold mold, it cools and assumes the inside dimensions of the mold. As the preform is heated and while being inflated inside the cold mold, it is mechanically stretched along it vertical axis. Common problems in the blow molding process include production of irregular frosty surfaces and non-uniform wall thickness.

how toys are made : The University of Akron. 2020. how toys are made : The University of Akron. [ONLINE] Available at: https://uakron.edu/cpspe/agpa-k12outreach/lesson-plans/how-toys-are-made. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

Cognitive skills include attention, short term memory, long term memory, logic & reasoning, and auditory processing, visual processing, and processing speed. They are the skills the brain uses to think, learn, read, remember, pay attention, and solve problems.

Here are the four cognitive stages of childhood development as identified by Jean Piaget:

1. Sensorimotor Stage: Birth through about 2 years. During this stage, children learn about the world through their senses and the manipulation of objects.
2. Preoperational Stage: Ages 2 through 7. During this stage, children develop memory and imagination. They are also able to understand things symbolically and to understand the ideas of the past and future.
3. Concrete Operational Stage: Ages 7 through 11. During this stage, children become more aware of external events, as well as feelings other than their own. They become less egocentric and begin to understand that not everyone shares their thoughts, beliefs, or feelings.
4. Formal Operational Stage: Ages 11 and older. During this stage, children are able to use logic to solve problems, view the world around them, and plan for the future.

LearningRx. 2020. 4 Cognitive Stages For Child Development | LearningRx. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.learningrx.com/4-cognitive-stages-for-child-development/. [Accessed 25 February 2020].

3rd to 4th grade (international), or 4th to 5th year in uk:

“It’s a thinking game: You have to move one little plastic car or bus at a time to make a path for your little guy to escape the traffic jam.” - PRIMARY OBJECTIVE- reinforces childrens' want to achieve a goal/ win/ please society- the reward here is winning, but I want the game to be its own reward

MODULARITY: enables a set of possible combinations. Again, this game has configuration and goals. But a kid like me would hve taken out the pieces and played with them separately on the floor, making things wihtout the game part of it.

“This is so fascinating to play with,” says Ruka Curate, founder of the Tiny Treasures Nanny Agency. The 12-inch-tall anatomical model of the human body has nine squishy versions of vital organs inside of it, which can be removed with forceps and tweezers, along with the rib cage and other skeletal and muscular systems. 

No goal, just information and exploring. Taking things apart, putting them back together.

this model is a particularly authentic one: This is the same board and pieces used in professional chess tournaments, she says. (It meets the proportion standards of the World Chess Federation.)

Authenticity: an important quality that affects how children treat the toy, and how they view themselves- are they bring trusted enough to given something with actual value? or is it all still make-believe?

Don’t worry: This kit appeals to non–Star Wars fans, too, according to Dr. Chesney. The magnetic “bits” snap together to let you build a droid that looks like R2-D2 — or a different-shaped sidekick that be customized to your liking — and then control with an app (the software also walks you through the steps of the building process) to wave at you, fist-bump you, draw on a sheet of paper, or just help you chase the dog around the room.

The android, therefore, is more for marketing and incentive. The kit can actually be used to make any droid, however one wants. Freedom to make what one wants without having to put an attractive face on the cover (which might influence what one builds) would be interesting.

the futuristic-looking marble run “gives kids a hands-on introduction to gravity, magnetism, and kinetic energy.” And the modular design can be assembled in various ways, allowing for curves, free falls, even a cannon situation. All of which is “a great way to practice trial and error and problem-solving skills,” says Dr. Chesney, who notes that kids can either follow the instructions or get creative and dream up a layout all their own. It “grows with a kid’s increasingly complex mind.”

Kids are given a choice- they can either follow the instructions or make what they want to. I would take away the instructions, so that the child has to use their imagination.

PANCAKE ART KIT: their set of organic mixes, plant-based dyes, and squeeze bottles is particularly great for this age because it “helps kids with fractions, ratios, math, and, color theory, all while having fun in the kitchen,”

Edible toy/food ---> 0 waste, easy to make, reduced costs? This is worth keeping in mind when developing my design.

During this period, children are advancing toward adolescence, and peer friendships start to become very important in their social and emotional development. They have a growing sense of independence, and with it, a growing confidence to solve problems and perhaps take risks. They also begin to show a capacity for self-evaluation and can laugh at themselves.

At this stage, children will exhibit many of these characteristics:

• Learn to cooperate in group settings and group games; dislike playing alone
• Spend a lot of time talking with peers
• Develop lasting friendships and begin to handle peer pressure
• Enjoy group activities and group games that focus on a common interest
• Demonstrate growing independence, leading to concern with rules that can lead to bossiness
• Use problem-solving, negotiating and compromising skills with peers
• Develop interest in long-range projects
• Begin to develop sportsmanship and learn about winning and losing gracefully
• Develop competence in competitive games and team sports
• Become sensitive to what others think of them and to adult approval
• Begin to consider clubs and groups important
• Become critical of their own performance and begin to evaluate themselves
• Become enthusiastic to tackle anything and will work hard to develop a skill
• Develop competitiveness—want to be first and best, and get things right
• Can express subtle emotions and experience moments of anger or frustration
• May be quite sensitive and overly dramatic
• Can change emotions quickly
• Can become discouraged, which may lead to being shy in public performances
• Show interest in being more grown-up and able to begin tackling more responsibilities and routines
• Begin to develop their own point of view, which is sometimes different from parents’ ideas

Grade Placement | ACS International Schools. 2020. Grade Placement | ACS International Schools. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.acs-schools.com/egham/admissions/grade-placement#2. [Accessed 18 March 2020].

Wikipedia. 2020. Rush Hour (puzzle) - Wikipedia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Hour_(puzzle). [Accessed 18 March 2020].

Thinkfun. 2020. Laser Maze™ - ThinkFun. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.thinkfun.com/products/laser-maze/. [Accessed 18 March 2020].

ThinkFun Laser Maze (Class 1) Logic Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 8 and Up: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games. 2020. ThinkFun Laser Maze (Class 1) Logic Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 8 and Up: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ThinkFun-Laser-Class-Logic-Girls/dp/B071X6YSJZ. [Accessed 18 March 2020].

The Strategist. 2020. 24 Best Toys and Gifts for 8-Year-Olds 2019 | The Strategist | New York Magazine. [ONLINE] Available at: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-toys-gifts-books-for-8-year-olds.html. [Accessed 18 March 2020].

The Strategist. 2020. 24 Best Toys and Gifts for 8-Year-Olds 2019 | The Strategist | New York Magazine. [ONLINE] Available at: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-toys-gifts-books-for-8-year-olds.html. [Accessed 18 March 2020].

Most of these toys are modular and used for building: the one I'm really interested in is FACETS: because its concept is very similar to mine.