Encouraging creativity with TinkerBox

"To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." - Thomas Edison

Have you ever noticed what kids do when they are given a pile of junk? Junk, not toys. Just Junk. Surprise!  They start to tinker with the pile in million ways we never would have thought about. This tinkering encourages them to think critically, solve problems, and most importantly stay creative.

What is tinkering?
To quote The Exploratorium,  "tinkering is thinking with your hands and learning through doing. It’s slowing down and getting curious about the mechanics and mysteries of the everyday stuff around you."

What is a Tinker box?
 A tinkerbox (also known as Tinker tray) at our house, is a simple divided box with various loose parts. You can read more about loose parts play and creativity in a post written a few months back.  So, when in mood to play with something new or just tinker with something, tinker box is our go to resource.

The Tinker Box

What is in our tinker box?
1. Rings and Sticks
2. Googly eyes - adds a character to anything it is attached to instantly.
3. Straws
4. Pipe cleaners/chenille sticks or wires
5. buttons and beads
6. Popsicle sticks/ craft sticks
7. Feathers
8. Push Pins
9. Yarn/String
10. Pattern blocks/shapes
11. Bonding materials such as tapes,glue and rubber bands
12. cardboard tubes and recyclables

Basically, a tinker box can comprise of any number of familiar, interesting materials left to be used in unfamiliar ways.

If tinker box contains craft items then what is the difference between tinkering and crafting for preschoolers?

Both tinkering and crafting are about making something. But in tinkering, you do not follow stepwise instructions to achieve a neat end result. When tinkering, the end result may reveal as you go.

How to initiate and maintain interest in tinkering?

If a new material is added to tinkerbox or tinkerbox is just being introduced, I would set up provocations displaying a few ways the materials can be used creatively.

A small provocation setup by me

To sustain kids' interest, I add other open ended materials such as play dough, paper and coloring materials etc.
I also rotate materials according to the kids current interest if the box goes unnoticed for some time.Say, the kids are currently interested in cars, adding materials for wheels (like bottle caps) and axles (sticks or skewers) can help bring their interest back to tinkering.

So what do Sid and Nidhi do with their tinkerbox?

Creative Expression
Sid and Nidhi enjoy using loose parts in the tinker box for expressing their creative thoughts, for story telling and to retell their experiences.

Here is Sid's depiction of a juggler after visiting a juggling show.

A juggler balancing on a ring by Sid

 Here is a story told by Nidhi about two little girls trying to find their way home. She also documented her representation as drawing on paper.

Girls walking on road by Nidhi

For Pretend/Imaginative play:

A simple tinkering of cardstock paper with couple of pipe cleaners can transform them into little prince and princess.

Prince and Cinderella with their self made crowns

Add a pair of googly eyes and you get an instant pretend companion.

Look! My little car is drinking juice(petrol)

Here is a short video of Sid singing with a  Banjo built by him and Nidhi listening to the song with her pretend headphones and mike.

Here is Sid playing a banjo made with cork board, a train track, push pins and rubber bands.

Sid playing a DIY banjo

For Preschool Math and literacy learning:

Though this way of using loose parts may not contribute towards tinkering, it reinforces versatility of tinker box.

Nidhi building alphabets with popsicle sticks

Sorting buttons by colors

Preschool Engineering:

Nidhi trying out a pulley system

Piggy's straw house

Art projects:

Often just having fun results in amazing art products like this mobile made by Nidhi hanging elegantly in our room.

A mobile made of loose parts from the tinker box

Another hanging mobile in making

And more importantly having fun!

A happy face with pins and rubber band

Do you have a tinker box for your preschooler? What's in it? Share your thoughts.

“The creative process in tinkering, I believe, lets your mind escape from the day-in and day-out of life. And I think it's so important, when we’re building something, to escape.” – Scott Weaver