The document describes plans for a BUILD Collective program to provide tweens and teens with educational building toys and activities. The goal is to foster imagination, creativity, and skills like engineering concepts, problem-solving, and critical thinking. A variety of building toy options are presented categorized by type, such as architecture, life-size, magnetic, STEAM/robotics, and traditional toys like LEGOs. The program also aims to have youth freely play and complete challenges with the building toys. Suggestions are provided for starting a BUILD Collective with a smaller budget by purchasing toys from Amazon and getting storage options.

2.  Disney Curiosity Creates Grant
 Ideas?
 “LEGO Club to the Extreme!”
 Peyton Plays with Acronyms

3.  The essential goal of the BUILD (“Building to Uphold
Imagination and Learning Daily”) Collective is to
provide tweens and teens (fourth through twelfth
grade) with educational “toys”, based around the
common theme of building, that will foster their sense
of imagination and help them become more creative
individuals.

4.  The Collective has three main goals:
 (1) for tweens and teens to just have fun by giving them a wide
range of educational building kits and letting them free play
or giving them challenges to complete which will allow them
to relax and have fun in a creative environment;
 (2) to educationally encourage tweens and teens to
understand engineering concepts and be able to think, create,
and explore with structures in a 3-D environment; and
 (3) to encourage tweens and teens to think more critically
about design and problem solving skills which would result in
increased confidence and the ability to approach such tasks
when faced with them in the real world.

5.  Overall, the increased use of such skills in creating
objects and structures and the success of those
experiences will lead tweens and teens to have a
greater desire and interest in the concepts and an
increased use of their own creativity and imaginations.

6.  Disney Curiosity Creates - $7,000
 Baker & Taylor SRP - $3,000
 YALSA/Dollar General Summer Learning - $1,000
 ALA Fyan Award - $5,000

7.  Abstract
 Architecture
 Life-Size
 Magnetic
 Kinesthetic Construction
 STEAM/Robotics
 Traditional Building
 Unusual
 Crafts

8.  Building with oddly shaped construction elements
that will result in abstract constructions not readily
identifiable objects

9.  Joinks
 Retail: $50
 76 Pieces
 Rubber Connectors &
Wooden Sticks

10.  Squiqz (Deluxe Set)
 Retail: $50
 50 Pieces
 Build with Suction Cups
 Also available in other
sets: Starter, Benders,
Minis

11.  Zoob
 Retail: $70
 500 Pieces
 Click-Based Building
 Also available in other
sets: 125, 250, special
design kits

12.  Building sets under “architecture” involve creative
outcomes more like traditional architecture pieces, such as
buildings, floor plans, etc.
 These sets are important for a building-based creative club
because there will be youths who are interested in actual
architecture concepts and creations.

13.  Scientific Explorer Young
Architect
 Retail: $50
 Design a home in 3-D
 Reusable
 Includes 9 room
templates, furniture
guides, and more

14.  Amusement Park
Engineer
 Retail: $70
 Design a number of
amusement park rides
 97 big pieces, easy to
build with
 Instruction book is also a
storybook

15.  Fort building!
 In other words, any toy that results in the life-size
construction of something.

16.  Discovery Kids
Construction Fort
 Retail: $20 (Wal-Mart!)
 72Pieces
 Fort Building for Young
and Old

17.  Structures created by youths that are held together with
magnets within the building blocks. These sets will allow
more daring youths to create designs that defy gravity.

18.  Tengu Blocks
 Retail: $110
 42 Piece Set
 Also come in 8, 14, 24
Piece Sets
 Colorful, wooden
magnetic blocks
 High Quality

19.  Toys that involve actual movement.

20.  Neo Tracks
 Retail: $25
 260 Pieces
 Add-On Sets and Glow-
in-the-Dark Options
 Includes Battery-
Operated Car

21.  Fischertechnik Dynamic
Fun with Physics Marble
Run
 Retail: $150
 Lots of Pieces
 Higher-End Set
 Lots of Cheaper Marble
Runs Available

22.  STEM-based products that incorporate building of some
kind along with technical know-how instruction
(electronics, lights, sound, motion, etc.).
 Also includes items that involve programming.

23.  Meccano Meccanoids
 Retail: $40 - $100
 Multiple Robots and
Other Creatures
(including a 3-foot tall
dinosaur!)
 L.I.M. Programming

24.  MiPoSaur
 Retail: $70
 Mini Version: $20
 Does Not Require Phone
Access/App Like Sphero
 Has Personality!
 Other Animals Available

25.  These are building sets that youths are familiar with either
by name or by having had some experience playing and
creating with them in the past (such as LEGOs).

26.  K’Nex KForce
 Retail: $20
 Lots of Pieces
 Lots of Models
 Boys LOVE – Must Build
and Then Compete with
Friends

27.  TinkerToy
 Retail: $20+
 Lots of Pieces
 Lots of Models
 Made with Plastic
Instead of Wood

28.  The materials the toys are made out of are unusual (either
in shape or textural feel) but are not “abstract” because the
structures that youths can build can be identifiable objects.

29.  EMIDO Building Toy
 “Click & Play”
 Retail: $15
 200+ Pieces
 Imagination Needed!

30.  Card Stackers
 Retail: $30
 825 Cards
 For Those Who Always
Wanted to Build Card
Houses!

31.  BUILD Collective items you may already have in your
library!

32.  Craft Sticks
 Retail: Dick Blick Art
 1000 Natural - $8
 1000 Colored - $10
 500 Jumbo - $7

34.  BUILD Free Play (Mini Golf Example)
 Challenges
 BUILD Faire
 Themed Play – Robots, Forts, etc.
 Miscellaneous Play – During Other Programs
 Outreach

39.  You do not need $6,000 to start a BUILD Collective
 Buy off Amazon – Save Up to 50% off
 Multi-age and multi-generational
 Forts = Need multiple kits
 Storage Options
 Buy Batteries!

40.  For Outreach Opportunities
 For a list of all our items and prices
 To discuss the best of the best toys
Lindsey Tomsu
Teen Coordinator
La Vista Public Library
9110 Giles Road
La Vista, NE 68128
402-537-3900
ltomsu@cityoflavista.org