Sago Mini Toolbox — Inspiring young builders
My father was a scientist and engineer. He loved to talk about hypothesis, theories, correlation and causation. But he was also a builder. From time to time he would point to something mundane — a chair, a sidewalk or a fire hydrant — and remind me that someone designed and built these things. “They didn’t just magically appear” he would say. It’s a simple lesson that had a profound impact.
We live in a world where we are increasingly separated from the people who build the things we use every day. I think this is why so many parents are picking up power tools and getting to work with their kids. It’s not that we expect to raise a generation of master carpenters, it’s that we want to keep alive the spirit of creation and foster an appreciation for the thought and hard work that goes into our built environment.
We chose to make Toolbox as a super-approachable way to introduce all young kids to power drills, saws, hammers and wrenches. We also wanted to convey the joy and satisfaction that comes with fixing and building things.
As an app, Toolbox is unique in its approach — big, natural controls combined with playful silly characters. Like all Sago Mini apps, it takes a ‘light’ approach — there are no rules and no instructions. The emphasis is on satisfying controls that even the youngest children can master.
Toolbox is also deceptively simple. The controls are the result of months of thinking, coding and testing. Take the scissors for example. Some kids tap to snip, some touch one handle and move up and down and others touch both handles and open and close their fingers. It doesn’t matter — because we support all of these.
I hope you and your child enjoy playing Toolbox and the app inspires you to think about the everyday objects in your life. Remember — someone made these things. And you can too!
Jason Krogh
Sago Sago
