Brick Compressor: embodied, outdoor, open-ended play

The last couple of "indoor years" have given us a newfound appreciation and desire to be outdoors and in nature. Nikki Bregman,?Nikki B., is an industrial and furniture designer who wants to encourage kids to go outside and get their hands dirty.

Looking at the existing toys in the sandbox, she made a toy concept that invites children to make earthen bricks. Encouraging trial and error, kids forage for and experiment with natural materials. Once collected, everything gets mega-smushed in Nikki's toy brick compressor and formed into an earthen brick. Different mixtures make bricks with different qualities.?

It was inspiring to see Nikki develop this from a concept to a 3D-printed toy last semester. It's simple, portable, and durable. It just feels like a natural fit with a toy bucket and shovel. I also love seeing the?scientific method?woven into the play experience.??

Many budding geologists, chemists, and naturalists find their first love of science through childhood play in nature. Encouraging curiosity in the natural world is a great gift we can give children.? Great work Nikki!

[ Fun Tangent: For an excellent cultural history of bricks and mortar, see Chapter 9 of Bill Bryson's fantastic read "At Home: A Short History of Private Life"]?