Imagine…
A place where kids can explore their own creativity and start to shape the world.
From time to time I help out at the Institute of Imagination. It’s an amazing charity that gets kids involved in and excited about science, technology and art in a way that is hands-on and fun. There are many things to explore, but it’s the kids who are doing the doing (designing, coding, making, building, testing, refining, playing, discovering). It’s inspiring to see all the energy they put in — and to see the excitement and sense of achievement they get out.
The iOi uses broad themes to give a focus to all the exploration. The current theme is Metropolis, so the kids are looking at things like: what makes a city; the ways they’re sustained; how they’re kept moving; and how to decide what to build and where. Big stuff, but handled with a real lightness of touch—all these activities are first and foremost fun.
The videos and photos here show some of the amazing things the kids have built as part of the current theme.
It’s the most remarkable thing, to see kids make things and realise the power they have to shape the world. I love it.
It’s great as a parent, bringing my boy to events but as a volunteer I also get a sense of the impact the Institute is having on London’s kids and the wider education system. For me, this is the way education has to go if we’re going to give our kids the skills they’ll need. Creativity in every field is only going to become more important and we must teach our kids that they all have huge creative potential. They also need to see that having ideas and making them real is incredibly exciting and rewarding — it’s what will change the world.
You can find out more about the Institute of imagination here.
