CREATIVITY THROUGH PLAY
Research Informs Play
Creative Adventure Lab's activities are built on best-practice research to ensure they effectively foster creativity and innovation through informal play.
We conducted an extensive survey of available research and found three key questions to ask when designing or choosing activities, which we call the Creative Activity Test:
1. Is the activity intuitive? Can a visitor of any age/experience start creating without first receiving extensive instruction?
2. Is the activity open ended? Can each visitor create a completely unique outcome using the same materials?
3. Can the activity scale in complexity? Can visitors create more sophisticated outcomes as they get older, smarter, more experienced?
Play Labs
Play Labs are hands-on learning environments that utilize simple, easy to use materials to help visitors design, test, and redesign creations. These activities include materials such as LEGO® bricks, foam building blocks, wooden planks, magnets, and more.
Play Labs teach design thinking, elements of the scientific method, and provide real-world opportunities for guests to explore a variety of foundational STEM concepts.
Pottery Painting Studio
Our in-house pottery painting studio offers hundreds of ceramic items available for guests to design, decorate, and customize.
The studio offers an easy entry into artful experiences for both youth and adults, while providing experienced painters the opportunity to create functional masterpieces.
Art Studios
We feature well-equipped ceramics and stained glass studios where adults can take intro-level classes and workshops.
In addition, we also offer studio memberships for those who want to continue exploring these mediums and honing their craft.
Climbing Wall
Creative Adventure Lab features a 2-story climbing wall. Why? Because it's an amazing way to encourage guests to practice positive risk-taking and overcome self-doubt. Oh, and engage in real-time problem solving under pressure.
These characteristics are key to building strong creativity and innovation skills. The climbing wall creates an opportunity to embody these traits in a physical way.
The Toy Box
Nestled within Creative Adventure Lab is The Toy Box, a gently-used toy store. The Toy Box helps us solve several challenges.
First, it helps equalize access to developmentally appropriate toys for kids and families, a challenge that disproportionately affects low income families.
Second, it helps reduce the negative environmental effects of plastic toys. Not only does buying used toys help reduce the pollution created when new toys are made, but keeping good toys out of landfills helps on the back end.