ThinkSpace is NOW OPEN!

Our vibrant new ThinkSpace exhibit has opened to rave reviews! We invited a dozen kids, ages 3 to 11, to come in for a sneak peek to test things out for us. Kids of all ages (and their grown-ups!) were intensely engaged in tackling building and design challenges, creating geometric patterns, solving puzzles, exploring shadows, navigating mazes and so much more. We were thrilled by their enthusiasm but also by the depth of their focus and concentration, and we witnessed lots of wonderful collaboration between kids and among adult/child pairs. We can tell that the activities will hold visitors’ attention for a long time, and that they’re going to come up with many interesting challenges of their own.

Some scenes from ThinkSpace...

Stacking, nesting and building with Wedgits – colorful octrahedron and rhombus-shaped blocks. Kids can try replicating designs on our challenge cards or come with their own constructions.

The Soma cube, a giant 3-D puzzle in which seven pieces fit together to form a cube. There are 240 distinct solutions, although it's a challenge to figure out even one – a challenge both kids and adults take very seriously! 

Arranging artfully painted wooden cubes to reproduce patterns or invent new designs.

Exploring the graphics on the navigation column.

Using the senses to guide a ball through the hidden twists and turns of the mystery maze boxes, then trying to map the path it traveled.

Creating intricate kaleidoscopic designs by layering, ordering and rotating colorful cutout shapes in countless combinations.

Experimenting with shadows and scale, transforming 3-D objects into 2-D representations and creating imaginative shadow scenes.

Constructing domino chain reactions, negotiating spacing and alignment to topple series of spirals and zigzags.

Building with wooden unit blocks in our brand-new block building area, designed to inspire even more creative construction.

And see the exhibit in action in this Providence Journal video:



You HAVE to come see ThinkSpace for yourselves – please let us know what you think, and which activities are your favorites!

Thank you to National Grid for their lead sponsorship of ThinkSpace, as well as to The June Rockewell Levy Foundation and everyone who supported the Thrive Drive for helping to make this new space a reality. 

Click here to learn about the inspiration for and process of creating ThinkSpace.