Professor AnnMarie Thomas spoke with us about playful learning through joy,  whimsy, surprise, and meeting new people. 

We also spoke with AnnMarie about how adults can foster an environment that encourages innovation. See more about that (and the interviews of various engineers and makers) in her book Making Makers: Kids, Tools, and the Future of Innovation

You can find AnnMarie on Mastodon: mastodon.social/@AnnMariePT

If you want to know more about squishy circuits, check out AnnMarie’s TED talk: Hands-on science with squishy circuits (or the related book Squishy Circuits (21st Century Skills Innovation Library: Makers as Innovators)).

She is the head of The Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas where she is a professor of engineering and entrepreneurship. 

We also talked about the LEGO Foundation. More about that on LearningThroughPlay.com

AnnMarie suggested the cephalopod-centric novel The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler. Elecia countered with The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (non-fiction).

And now, a question for you to ponder, what is your most meaningful learning experience?

Transcript