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Toy Challenge
Bringing Science to Life
By Kelly Burgess
Alyssa Hansen, 12, of Irvine, Calif., discovered that learning about intangibles like teamwork was just as valuable as learning about science. "Competing in TOY Challenge showed me that science isn't something people typically do alone, she says. "Science is something people usually do as a group. Teamwork is really important."
Hands-on science with a specific goal also brings home other facts about science that can't be learned in the classroom, such as the value of persistence in the face of failure. Kara Pedersen, 12, of Santa Ana, Calif., found that the most difficult part of the process was simply coming up with something that hadn't yet been done. "I thought making up the toy was the hardest," she says. "We would come up with a good idea and then find out that it was already made. It took a long time for us to figure out our toy and how it was going to look."
Pedersen, Johnsen and Hansen were all members of the California Aquatics team – along with Brittany Carter, Amy Hansen, Nicholas Johnsen, Matt Johnston and Josh Nordstrom – which tied for first place, winning them a trip to Space Camp. In addition, Johnsen and Hansen had been on the previous year's winning team, Wave Riders, and had won action figures in their likeness.
TOY Challenge, which is also sponsored by Hasbro, Inc. and the Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi, launches each year in September. Teams are comprised of three to six team members overseen by a coach who must be at least 18. At least half of the team members must be girls. Teams pay a $45 sign-up fee and are assigned a number. They have until early January to work on their preliminary ideas in three toy categories: Games that Teach, Games for the Family and Get out and Play.