If you like to learn by doing, Tinkering School is the place for you

I recently came upon an inspiring presentation given by Gever Tully at a 2009 Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference. He spoke about a program he created called the Tinkering School. Tinkering School is a summer learning program that enables children to learn through exploring and using tools and materials they would not ordinarily be allowed to access.

He describes the school as "a program that helps kids build the things they think of" and in Gever Tully's own words, here's how a typical session plays out:

When the kids arrive they've confronted with lots of stuff, wood and nails and rope and wheels, and lots of tools, real tools. It's a six-day immersive experience for the kids ... Our goal is to ensure that they leave with a better sense of how to make things than when they arrived, and the deep internal realization that you can figure things out by fooling around.

The results are truly amazing. View this four-minute video to see the school in action, including successful projects such as a strong bridge built from old grocery bags and a roller coaster built by seven-year olds.

Adult learners can take lessons from these kids about productive ways to learn. Examples include taking a break when they hit a barrier and then returning to tackle the problem with new insight. They also laughed often because of their "ease with the idea that every step in a project is a step closer to sweet success or gleeful calamity".

If there was a version for adults, imagine the fun to be had and the creative learning that would occur. Or would adults have the same experience? Once we leave childhood we sometimes forget the valuable role playfulness brings to learning – as author Eric Hoffer said, "It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities and talents" (from Brainy Quotes).