CreoKit - The main goal is to give life to unused material and use it to develop creative thinking, imagination, and technical feeling.
The CreoKit was created as part of the Free Material project. The main idea of the whole project was to use unused material. Materials that someone else considers as a waste. It deals with the reuse of parts and materials that are unsatisfactory in a certain part of the production and would end up as waste. The team which developed the CreoKit is working with idea to help reduce of waste and supporting the technical education for children.
It is a creative wooden construction kit for children over five years, which uses a wooden stick with a diameter of 8mm (originally waste in the production of arrows for archery) as the main building element. The contents of the kit are plastic clutches with a magnet, steel balls, strings and hand cutter which is used to cut wooden sticks. The aim is to assemble structures according to the instructions or using your imagination.
The uniqueness of the kit consists of combining the meaningful use of waste and promoting creativity. The kit aims to detach children “from screens” and give them a tool to realize their ideas and imagination while learning something. The story of the kit promotes environmentally friendly thinking of children, which is extremely important today and in the future.
Material which was used for this CreoKit – silicone, wood, magnets, PET material for 3D printers (the wood cutter is made of it) – So there is a option to crush and use it again for something else.
Resources needed
The initial investment to produce a pilot piece was 5500 euros from the Moravian- Silesian region. Initially, about 5 people were involved in the project and today 2 people take care of the project. One CreoKit costs around 15 Eur
Evidence of success
About 30 pieces of this Creokit have been sold so far. This year production is to be increased. There were changes based on reviews of the first pieces sold.
Feedback from users – we tested CreoKit in the schools with students studying special pedagogy.
Difficulties encountered
The development was demanding and took quite a long time. During testing, not all children discovered the right way to use the woodcutter included in the kit. The cutter had to be adapted to better suit children's use. Also, the weight of the fasteners had to be reduced.
Potential for learning or transfer
The CreoKit is a great example of circular economy. The company that makes bow arrows has a lot of waste. The arrow made is not always usable. And then what about?
So that it does not end up as unused waste – developer of CreoKit buys this material and remakes it on the kit.
The main goal is to give life to unused material and use it to develop creative thinking, imagination, and technical feeling.
- recovery, elimination of waste and support of technical education-
Tags: Business, Creative, Waste, Circular economy
