The new and improved Rigamajig by Assistant Professor of Industrial Design Cas Holman – a 263-piece building kit for kids – officially launched at the end of May. Holman designed the kit to bolster creativity, teamwork and engineering skills among elementary school students.
“Most kids don’t get to build their own tree houses and forts anymore,” Holman says. “I’m motivated to give kids opportunities to make their own realities, to be the boss of their own worlds.” A life-long tinkerer herself, her concept allows kids to imagine and build an infinite number of contraptions with the planks, wheels, nuts, bolts, pulleys and ropes included in the kit.
Although the kit intentionally includes no instructions, it does provide “play prompts” such as: “Using 15 pieces, make a contraption that can hold a 10-pound bag of potatoes” and “Use the Rigamajig to make a friend.”
Holman first introduced the Rigamajig concept in 2011 as a “pop-up playground” intended to make NYC’s Highline Trail more fun for families. She is currently partnering with nonprofit Kaboom to bring the modified kits to elementary schools across the US.
