Cognitive science shows you retain more by switching up what tasks your brain is engaged in...so come in to the Makerspace and try your hand at puzzles, coloring pages, origami, brain teasers, old-school board games, and tactile toys!
Don't forget to ask for what else might be in the BookBot at Pendleton; we have books of logic puzzles and coloring books for adults, including mandala designs and lateral thinking brain-busters.
Solve a puzzle, whether that's a word puzzle, a jigsaw puzzle, or a 3-D tactile experience; be creative with word games, number games, building sets, and visual art; stretch your thinking with card sets and brain puzzles; and rest your mind with coloring, origami, and our tactile collection. Enjoy the space...it's there for you!
The Kitronik Discovery Kit for Raspberry Pi Pico is a great way to learn about microcontrollers, Python coding, and physical computing. The kit is supplied with all of the components needed to complete the seven included experiments, including a large-format breadboard and a Raspberry Pi Pico. No soldering required! You'll need access to a computer with Thonny (free download).
The Kitronik Inventor's Kit for the Raspberry Pi Pico offers the perfect introduction to physical computing with the Pico. This Inventor's Kit contains everything you need to complete 10 exciting experiments and the included booklet walks you through every step of each. No soldering required! You'll need access to a computer with Thonny (free download).
We have puzzles from 250-1000 pieces. Request one for check out at the Information Desk.
Keep Gwen Stefani away from this one!
Okay, so this is a number game, not a word game...it still gets the juices flowing!
We have the Nature, Haiku, Country Songs, and Unicorn Lover kits!
This putty fights you back! It gets tougher the more you stretch and play with it, for when you need to burn off some steam!
It changes colors from shades of yellow to shades of green as you work it in your hands!
Pretty iridescent colors that shift under the light...like a beetle's wings!
Great for stacking, twirling, and fidgeting. They snap together with an oh-so-satisfying click!
Nope, it's not a Rubik's cube...you fold it open and in on itself again and again...try not to hypnotize yourself!
Use our basic set to model your ideas or just to see how high you can build them up...just don't step on them!!
These boards are great for modeling; they glue together and you can take them home when you're done!
Sometimes simple crafts are the best. We have books of origami patterns to follow and plenty of colored paper for you to try it out with! Make a garland of cranes for your room, fold a flower for a friend who's having a bad day, or send your mom a pretty paper pinwheel! We can't guarantee you'll be folding dinos in no time, but we'll give you the opportunity to practice!
Sketch out your project ideas in color on blank paper or use some of our printed coloring pages to fill in a mandala.
These Japanese-style abacuses can be used to learn mental math, which can improve concentration, mathematical ability, and cognitive function, and enable stunning feats of computation...ever heard of a soroban competition?