Reader comments
Imagination at play: Children's exhibit aims to develop scientific, inventive skills

If you want to increse peoples scientific skills, two ways.

1. Develop their interest in Science. Talk about it, wonder about it and put up posters.

2. Math education. Quality math education. Math if taught right teaches problem solving skills and somehow in many people leads naturally to an interest in science.

3. Be born under the right star. Some people just seem to have an interest, more than others. And this is the way we would want it. We need artistic types, people happy to do labor, people who want to be involved in management and government,but everyone will benefit from a knowledge of and interest in math and science.

Im an excellenct problem solver.

Love to talk

Have put up many posters

Have artistic ability( iam a musician with outstanding skill, i've composed some amazing music)

fine with doing hard labor

Iam a manager

I govern a home (i also vote)

But....

I hate math.
I cant do it.
I Dont Get it

We at the Smithsonian�s Lemelson Center (creators of �Invention at Play�) are happy to see this discussion. Increasing invention skills�scientific, technological, artistic, or otherwise creative�include: education (STEM subjects and art, music, wood shop, and other hands-on classes and after-school activities); opportunities for unstructured play, as discussed in �Invention at Play� and; mentoring by parents, relatives, teachers, and others who play pivotal roles in children�s development. Inventors and scientists often talk about the role models who supported their creative interests during childhood�playing with construction toys, arts and crafts, exploring the natural world, and using tools to take apart and reassemble machines. Inventors and scientists connect these experiences to their playful approaches at work, such as tinkering and �messing about;� visualizing, modeling, and drawing analogies; brainstorming and teamwork; convergent and divergent problem solving. Through �Invention at Play� we are pleased to see how the personal stories of diverse inventors impact visitors, who often express surprise that inventors are �just like them.� We hope that children especially are inspired to think that they, too, could become inventors someday. Whether or not you have visited �Invention at Play,� do you or your children get this sense that anyone can invent?