Fostering Creativity in Science through Invention of Toys in Design & Technology Laboratories

Creativity in science is necessary if we want Galileos, Newtons, Daltons, Darwins and Einsteins of the future. Toys have been widely used as an effective, engaging way of teaching Physics and Mathematics concepts. Students learn Physics concepts by observation and deduction skills as they "play with the toys". Toys are used because they are inexpensive, non-threatening, relatable to students of all ages and arouse interest and curiosity that demonstrates examples of physical science in everyday life. Teachers who use toys in their instructional planning believe that toys will enhance creativity, problem solving and create inventive mindsets in their students. This paper attempts to explore how students display their creative talents in coming up with variations of a centripetal toy puzzle through a problem based learning (PBL) approach. Its goal is to allow students to prototype toys that will exhibit the concept of centripetal force. Students are exposed to elements of entrepreneurship while doing the project and describe their learning of Physics concepts and problem solving skills in their portfolios. 1