3d printed mazes

During the stay-safe-at-home time this Spring, The Imagination Lab made use of our time to create protective face shields for Hendricks Regional Health (read story here). These were made using The Imagination Lab's 3D printers.

When that project was completed, we looked for another opportunity to help others during these difficult times. Our Director, Tracy Ballinger, wanted to come up with another tool students could use to cope, so her focus shifted to mindfulness. 

The Imagination Lab already plans Odyssey experiences to teach student's mindfulness and skills to manage emotions.

The Imagination lab donated a set of 8 labyrinths and mazes to each of the 6 Plainfield Schools. Each set comes with mindfulness activities that will teach students skills in breathing, relaxing, focusing, and observing feelings.

 The Rotary Club of Plainfield provided a donation for the supplies.

Mazes provide an opportunity for students to see the process of failing as a part of the learning process. For example, when you follow a path that leads to a dead-end (a "failure") it is natural just to go back to the last branch and continue to search for a solution. That process is the essence of problem solving.

Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has one continuous path from the entrance to the center and then exits along the same path. Students are encouraged to pause at the center of the labyrinth and rest momentarily, take deep breaths, and observe how they are feeling.

You can learn more about the Rotary Club of Plainfield at www.plainfieldrotary.org/