The Rigamajig has been a fantastic addition to the hands-on, play-based STEAM events we run in the community. From toddlers to senior citizens, community members have stopped and stayed - sometimes for up to 30 minutes! - to explore and build. We ran it at 5 different events over the summer: an arts fair, a farmers market, a street festival, and two back-to-school events. Highlight builds from our estimated 75 visitors include ride-on cars, a variety of cranes, and a body-sized balance. We’ll continue to bring the Rigamajig to community events and are excited to see what people build next!
Rigamajig Project Plan
Our group has been in touch over the past few weeks to plan our initial event. We plan to host an open-play session for kids to explore the new Rigamajig set. Pending the timing of receiving the kit and confirmed event participation, this may happen at a community concert, community run, farmer’s market, or other such event. We aim to:
Provide open-ended play to kids, especially where they are present but not actively engaged.
Encourage collaboration and teamwork between kids by initiating conversations with participants as they play.
Support the use of problem-solving skills by asking purposeful questions.
Promote joy and community connections by providing a challenging and accessible play opportunity.
Timeline:
We have a confirmed target event for debuting the Rigamajig kit on Sunday, August 4th. If the Rigamajig does not arrive in time for this event, we will plan a second event in mid-August or September, likely at a farmer’s market or community concert.
Budget:
We have an existing pop-up tent and tables that we will use at the event to provide shade and organization for the Rigamajig materials. The $400 donated to support the Rigamajig project will be earmarked to purchase the Rigamajig junior set to engage younger students in active play.
Estimated Budget Summary:
Rigamajig Set and Shipping: included at no cost
Rigamajig junior: $479.00
Measurement of Impact:
To assess the impact of our event, we will use these strategies:
Surveys and Feedback Forms:
Develop two surveys for kids, one with a smile, neutral face, and a frown to enable kids who do not yet read to give feedback on their experience, and one with two to three Likert Scale questions.
Distribute a short post-event survey to parents and caregivers to gauge their perceptions of their children's enjoyment, engagement, and any observed benefits from the event.
Include questions about their overall satisfaction with the event and suggestions for future improvements.
Observation and Documentation:
Have event volunteers document examples of creative play and social interactions, especially by sharing short anecdotes.
Take photos and videos (with parental consent) to capture the joy of play!
Participation Metrics:
Track the number of attendees, as possible
Measure the duration of time individual children spend engaging with the Rigamajig set, as possible
Location:
Our main event will be held at the Milwaukee World Festival’s STEM Family Fun Day on August 4th, or at another event pending the Rigamajig delivery timeline. The location was chosen due to its central location within Milwaukee, increasing accessibility, and the potential to reach a large number of kids and their families. We have confirmed participation and have a large space reserved for the Rigamajig. If the Rigamajig arrives in late August, we will confirm participation in another event, such as a community concert or farmer’s market.
Beneficiaries:
Beneficiaries of this event include participating kids, their families, and the STEM Family Fun Day attendees, concert attendees, or farmers' market attendees.
Following the event, the play equipment will be able to be reserved by local educators in classrooms and out-of-school settings so that access for kids continues after our original play events. We will continue to host pop-up play events in the future using what we learn from the initial events.
Using various data collection methods, we aim to evaluate the success of our Rigamajig open-play event by determining the impacts on kids and their families. We will use our data to refine future play events to better serve our community.
