Jim Correll, director Fab Lab ICC at Independence Community College, Independence Kansas 

When I was growing up, let's just say it was several years ago, battery operated toys were just coming into existence.  In those days, batteries (technically, energy cells) were expensive enough that most electric toys were sold without them.  Hence, the phrase we still sometimes hear today "Batteries not included."  It was kind of a sign that you were up-to-date with technology if you got something for Christmas that required batteries.  Parents wanted to give their kids the latest so why give those boring, non-electric gifts like Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs or the erector sets when the kids wanted the electric toys that had lights and the ability to move around on their own through simple electric motors? 

One of my favorites from the era was a "robot" similar to those appearing in movies and shows like "Lost in Space".  Also, at that time, the "Jetson's" animated cartoon show sported "Rosie" the robot maid.  Although hokey by today's standards, we didn't know of anything else so the robot that would merely light up and move around the floor was as exciting to us as the cool robotic pets of today.  The robot didn't teach me much, except how to insert the batteries in the right direction but it was a cool toy.  Fortunately for me, I kept on playing with the Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs and the erector set. 

The trend to electric and now electronic toys has continued over the last 50 years--admittedly, with some really cool technology always emerging—has kept parents wanting to make sure the kids have the latest electronic gadgets.  Unfortunately, this trend has contributed to two or three generations of folks who, by and large, don't know how to make anything with their hands. 

We see this all the time at Fab Lab ICC with people of all ages that are not very adept at using their hands.  The first year we were open (2014), one of our ICC students was a wizard at creating complex 3d drawings in "Inventor", one of the leading software packages in industry, but he couldn't make anything with his hands.  He moved on before we could give him much experience at using hand tools and making things and will be at a disadvantage in his professional and personal life. 

Over the last year or so, when we bring kids to Fab Lab ICC to make things, we make sure there's a healthy amount of working with hand tools mixed in with the digital work of creating files that run the cool fabrication machines.  Here's the thing.  The kids love making things with their hands as much as making digital files on the computer. 

I'm not really advocating a battery-free Christmas, however, I am advocating that the toys we give, and the activities we provide for our kids (of all ages) be a combination of the cool technology along with some hand work with manual hand tools.  The learning and increase in self-confidence that happens with this combination is phenomenal and very satisfying to observe. 

Jim Correll is the director of Fab Lab ICC at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on the campus of Independence Community College. He can be reached at (620) 252-5349 or by email at jcorrell@indycc.edu. Archive columns and podcasts at www.fablabicc.org.