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ADVENTURES

daily activities

NEXT DAY

Welcome to Toy Land

Made to Play

Sure, you play with toys, but have you ever thought about how they’re made? Or who even came up with these things? Let’s step inside the making of some of our favorite toys, from Legos and stuffed animals to Nerf guns and video games.

DAY 2

what you’ll need

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        FOR PARENTS

        Ask About Today

        How does a toy go from an idea in someone’s head to an item on the store shelf?

        Skip the Ads

        Unfortunately, online videos often start with short advertisements. Remind your campers to click the "Skip" button as soon as they can to move ahead to the video.

        explore

        45 minutes


        01

        Meet the Toy Sculptors

        Before that action figure or bobblehead doll makes it to the store, it has to be designed and shaped. Ever thought about who does that? You might be surprised to learn that a small group of toy sculptors in Kansas City handles this painstaking work with clay, magnifying glasses, and basic carving tools. Watch them in action in this short documentary.

        02

        Get a Look at the LEGO Factory

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        The LEGO factory cranks out more than 1.7 million bricks every hour—and it’s almost all done by automated machines and robots.

        Remember: Online videos often start with advertisements. (Annoying, we agree!) Click the "Skip" button as soon as you can to move ahead to the video.

        03

        A Nerf Gun’s Elegant Engineering

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        Getting that Nerf gun to fire off a single dart at a time takes some clever design work. The crew at Interesting Engineering explains how it works in this video.

        04

        What’s a Teddy Bear Made Of?

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        Making stuffed animals requires some serious machinery (not to mention a lot of recycled plastic bottles used for fluff). Check out how the Vermont Teddy Bear Company puts their famous bears together, piece by piece.

        05

        Press A to Start a New Game

        Ever wonder how video games are created? Today’s most popular games, like Fortnite, Halo, and Mario Kart, can take years and millions of dollars to develop. Read more about the process and everyone involved, from graphic artists and producers to engineers and coders, in this article from Wonderopolis.

        06

        How to Get Your Toy Idea Made

        Have a great idea for a new toy? In this article, you’ll get some good advice on developing and selling your idea from the inventors of successful toys like GoldieBlox and Dino Construction Company vehicles.

        create

        30-45 minutes

        01

        Create Your Custom Paper Airplane!

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        Follow along with SciShow Kids to learn how to make a high-flying paper airplane. Once you’re done folding it, use crayons or colored pencils to make it one-of-a-kind!

        02

        Make Your Own Paper Helicopter Toy

        All right, now you know how to make a super cool paper airplane. But how about a paper helicopter? All you need is some construction paper or cardstock, a ruler, scissors, some tape, and a paperclip. Follow the directions from Babble Dabble Do and you’ll be whirling off in no time.

        Share your work! We'd love to see it. Ask a parent to email a photo or video to us or share it on Instagram or Twitter by tagging @KindaGuide.

        move

        15 minutes

        01

        Jump into an 8-Minute Workout

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        All this thinking about toys has us jumpy. You too? Let’s get some of that excited energy out with this 8-minute workout from Kid Explorer. Don’t forget to stretch before and after!

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