Play
Play
Objective: Try something out just to see what happens.
Designers take time to play and explore new ideas or materials, even when they’re not yet sure what they want to create. Experimenting with something new can lead to new ideas or perspectives.
Paper Exploration, Grades: K-5
Time: 20-30 min
Play with paper and explore as many paper-changing techniques as you can.
Transform Material, Grades: 6-12
Time: 20-30 min
Experiment with material properties and transform a found material into an existing object of your choosing.
Collection Connection
Look at design objects from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum collection that demonstrate how designers observe.
Play, Grades: K-5
Time: 10-15 min
Explore how designers play and use paper and cardboard in many different ways to create chairs.
Play, Grades: 6-12
Time: 10-15 min
Explore how designers play and experiment with the properties of different materials to create new objects.
