Social, communication and language skills are all improved through playing with construction resources. They encourage problem solving and logical thinking to solve issues such as balancing blocks, where the next piece goes and how to make the structure that they want to build. Not only did my almost four year old daughter get more creative as her structure came to life, my 14 year old son had to join the fun.

She is able to make simple geometric shapes as well as large structures that she uses for forts, tents, castes, etc. Find comfortable seating, versatile tables, inviting rugs, durable outdoor furniture, smart storage solutions, classroom decor, cosy sleeping room furniture and more. Help children explore, learn, become more confident and develop a stronger sense of identity while having fun through play.

A straw connector is a small device that, used along with other similar ones, allows to connect straws and to create virtually any form, to build constructions of any shape and dimension. After you make enough squares and rectangles, you will glue or paper clip these sections together to create your project.

This tutorial was produced as part of the FabEdu project, co-financed by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union.

The 3D printed straw connectors that we have prototyped can serve to introduce kids to 3D printing and to the concept of parametric design. Children will enhance color recognition, hand-eye coordination, counting, critical thinking, and overall creativity as they play.

This open-ended experience has no right or wrong answers so is the perfect way for your child to have freedom in their explorations. They mention that the box is sturdy, the straws are not at all flimsy, and they hold up to lots of assembling and disassembling. The objects we have prototyped are several different 3D printed straw connectors, allowing the construction of different shapes.Play encourages creativity, imagination, perseverance as well as the development of language and social skills.