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Tinkering is an active, hands-on approach to discovering the richness and depth of the world around you—and it lends itself perfectly to the home environment, using materials and tools you might already have to explore everyday phenomena in surprising ways. Try this collection of invitations and resources to get started.

Share your creations with other tinkering explorers on social media using #TinkeringatHome and the hashtags included in each invitation. We'll share playful tips, inspiring ideas, and delightful outcomes as tinkerers around the world contribute their creations.

Exploring Spinning

Gather recycled materials around your house and try turning them into spinning toys. Share your creations with us using #ExploringSpinning. Include what worked well and what didn't—we want to see your tinkering process.

STEAM Starters

Explore light, shadow, and motion with tinkering activities for families with young children. Tinker with light and shadow and share your images and stories using #BlockBendBounce. Or find out what rolls, create your own tracks, ramps, and pathways, and share what you discover with #RampsandRollers.

Make a shadow puppet. Make a BIG shadow. Try to trace a shadow. Block, bend, and bounce light. Explore shadow shapes. Use your body to block light.

Light Up Our Days

Brighten your day—find a light source (a flashlight, cell phone, or the sun) and look around for objects that make interesting shadows. Create a shadow, take a picture, and share it using #LightUpOurDays to become part of this international celebration of light and shadow.

Developed in collaboration with Fab Lab Barcelona

Play with light and color. Remix a shadow. Build a shadow skyline. Tell a story with shadows. Remix a shadow. Try different shadow-making materials.

Chain Reaction

Use everyday materials to construct a whimsical sequence of cause-and-effect surprises—a chain reaction contraption! Start simple, then add to your ingenious construction. Share a video of what you create with collaborators far and wide using #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction.