What better way to maximize your creativity and pass the time than taking a moment to free build with WonderLab’s new Big Green Blocks exhibit? You can build a castle, a throne, or even a bridge; the possibilities are endless.

A fish out of water

Growing up, I never really played with building toys. I was more into things like Bratz dolls and play make-up; toys like Legos, Mega Bloks, and Tinkertoys never sparked my interest. When I approached the big green blocks exhibit , I thought to myself, “What in the world am I going to build?” It wasn’t until this moment that I realized: In all my 20 years of living, I have never built anything just for the fun of it. I’ve only tried to build something when it came with an instruction manual. I was out of my element.

Is the sky the limit? 

For most children, the world is their oyster. One minute you could be a 6 year-old playing on the playground, and the next minute you could be on a pirate ship defending your treasures. There are all sorts of possibilities when it comes to a child’s imagination. When it comes to the adult imagination however, the possibilities don’t seem as endless. How come our imagination becomes limited as we age?

As we age, we become more aware of the world around us; we figure out what is and isn’t possible.(Mental Health Training) For example, I used to want to be an international pop star. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have the voice of an international popstar. The older I got, the more that dream started to wither because that dream no longer felt possible. 

“Play is the work of the child”

Since the exhibit was introduced to the museum, it’s been really fun getting to witness children engaging with it and building to their heart’s desire. When I see kids interacting with the exhibit, it’s almost as if they already have a plan in their heads for what they want to build. They’ll get to stacking, and fitting, and in just a couple of seconds they have an entire structure in front of them! Maybe it’s not something that I can recognize like a house or a seat; most times it’s just blocks randomly piled on top of eachother. Nevertheless, I always see the thrill on their faces, excited to show their parents what they built. Children have such an active imagination and having them participate in this activity is a great way to encourage them to express themselves, learn how to plan, and try new things.

 

While playing around with the exhibit, I thought to myself: “Would this process be easier if I was five years old?”  When watching children play with the blocks, the concept of building whatever comes to mind seems to come to them with ease. They immediately start experimenting with the exhibit with no plan in action, and somehow still come out with a final product. On the other hand, this process didn’t come to me with such ease. I spent a lot of time standing in the exhibit trying to come up with a plan, and the more I stood there, the harder this became. 

Embrace the challenge

It’s easy to get in your head when trying to come up with an idea. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to build, and where I was going to start. There was no instruction manual! I was definitely experiencing a creative block. Why was this so hard?

Adults do not exercise our imagination and creativity as much children do. (To learn more about how adults lose their imagination as they age click here). Being creative and having an active imagination is a skill; the less you practice that skill the more it starts to disappear. Fortunately, Wonderlab is the perfect place to practice! There are many exhibits that challenge you to experiment, enhance your imagination, and learn to play like a kid again. 

The big green blocks were challenging me. 

Don’t think, just do!

Getting started was the hardest part. I often find myself overthinking about projects like this because it can be hard to start something with no direction. It took me a while to get going. I told myself: “Get out of your head and just go for it.” So that’s what I did! Without any type of plan, I started fitting blocks together, and maneuvering my way through the exhibit. Finally, I decided that I was going to attempt to make a castle. This exhibit consists of a plethora of blocks with varying shapes and sizes, so it was a little challenging figuring out what all I wanted to use. What I did know was that my favorite block was the smiley face– it is so adorable! I knew that I needed to incorporate it into my castle. 

Soon enough, I was on a roll! All the pieces started to fit together perfectly. My vision, which began as a mere thought, quickly developed into a castle that ended up being taller than I am! Now, could I fit a kingdom in this castle? No. Could I even fit a couch in this castle? Absolutely not, but regardless, this was only an idea that I had in my head and I made it a reality. I was proud of it!

I had a lot of fun overcoming my creative block, and letting the imaginative juices flow. It was nice forgetting about my adult responsibilities, if only for a short while. Albert Einstein once said, “To stimulate creativity, one must develop the childlike inclination for play.” I found that once I stopped overthinking about a plan of action and viewed this as a chance to get out and play around, the whole process became a lot easier and enjoyable. I don’t always have to have a plan, sometimes I can just trust the process and have fun!

About the Author

MaKiya Tramil is a 21 year-old senior at Indiana University majoring in Media Advertising and working as a Marketing intern at WonderLab museum. In her free time she likes to watch old movies she enjoyed as a child and read romance/thriller novels. Currently, her favorite exhibit at Wonderlab is the Bed of Nails!

Citations

“Why Do We Lose Our Imagination as We Age? – Mental Health Training.” Mental Health Training – Podcast.Co, pod.co/phobia-what-are-you-afraid-of/why-do-we-lose-our-imagination-as-we-age. Accessed 6 Sept. 2024. 

“Child’s Play – C Is for Creativity.” The Colour Works, 30 Mar. 2022, www.thecolourworks.com/childs-play-c-is-for-creativity/.