Kids can build and create for free this summer at ImaginOn’s TINKERTOY exhibit

Every summer, ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street, presents an interactive exhibit for families to explore. It’s free to visit the exhibit, just as it’s free to visit ImaginOn. This summer, through September 10th, 2017, kids can create and build in TINKERTOY: Build Your Imagination.

The exhibit is designed for kids aged 3-10.

The exhibit is available whenever the building is open. Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday – Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (ImaginOn is closed on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day for summer hours.) Call 704-416-4600 for more information.

• The Welcome Gallery – The Welcome Gallery celebrates the 95th anniversary of TINKERTOY through a retrospective of the toy’s history, and highlights GE technologies that improve communities around the globe every day.
• Invent – Children are encouraged to think about where ideas come from, and to explore the emerging field of biomimicry – nature’s influence on design. Visitors can match real inventions with their natural inspiration and create a design of their own.

• Collaborate – Dual-sided panels allow visitors to work independently or with a partner to create TINKERTOY designs.
• Energize – Children can explore GE’s commitment to renewable energy as they use a kid-powered fan to test their own wind-powered TINKERTOY creations.
• Change – A Rube Goldberg-like contraption illustrates the power of creative thinking and how simple mechanisms work. The activity lets children select and position words to build silly – but thought-provoking! – sentences that serve as the springboard for innovation.
• Process/Connect – TINKERTOY-inspired equipment lets children explore the concept of filtration, while a companion activity invites them to build ball tracks that illustrate how GE technologies help address the challenge of providing clean water. Finding the correct path through a graphic maze answers children’s curiosity about “Where does the water go?”

• Develop – Visitors will enjoy filling a life-size human form with TINKERTOY hubs, providing a great photo opportunity and revealing the elements of a healthy lifestyle – and emptying the piece is fun, too! A special rotating TINKERTOY hub array inspires children to consider the impact of their personal choices, highlighting one of our most important responsibilities: taking care of ourselves so that we can do anything!
• Create – This open play area reserved for children age 3 and older features a spectacular assortment of TINKERTOY pieces – the perfect place to build their imagination. Pictures of remarkable TINKERTOY creations and special tips provide guidance and inspiration.

• The Tinker Tank – A walk-in size replica of a TINKERTOY canister is the starting point for the exhibit’s challenging scavenger hunt, a must for those with an eye for detail and a nose for knowledge! The Tinker Tank contains a variety of educational materials that attest to the impact of unconventional ideas on some of the world’s greatest – and strangest – inventions, and serve as a reminder that “If at first you don’t succeed…”

Information for Groups

• Can I bring a group?  Yes! Groups are welcome to visit the exhibit after 12 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Reservations are neither required nor accepted and entry into the exhibit is always on a first-come, first-served basis. However, if you wish to combine your visit to the exhibit with any other building-wide activity and have a group a group visit booking is required.
• Can a group make a reservation to visit the exhibit?  No, all visits to the exhibit happen on a first-come, first-served basis. Families are encouraged to take advantage of Family Time if your schedule allows. (See below for details.)
• Is there a time when the exhibit is open just for families?  Yes! Family Time for the exhibit is every Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. During this time, the exhibit is open just for children with their parents/caregivers. (Limit five children per adult.)
• Can children visit the exhibit by themselves?  Children under age 8 must be with a caregiver at all times. Caretakers should be at least 12 years old and mature enough to follow ImaginOn rules and guidelines. Chaperones are required for all groups visiting ImaginOn and the exhibit.
• What if the exhibit is full when I arrive?  Because visitor safety is our top priority, admittance into the exhibit is limited. This allows guests the ability to fully explore the exhibit at their own pace. If the exhibit is “full,” we have a queuing area where visitors can wait to enter the exhibit on a first-come, first-served basis. We have suggested activities to pass the time while you are in line.