Tinker /ˈtiNGkər/ n. to make small changes to something in order to improve or repair it (MacMillan Dictionary)
You may have noticed this quaint little word that’s at the heart of my blog title, and today I’d like to talk a bit about tinkering. I have a fun tinkering challenge up my sleeve (come back for that next week!), so consider this my introduction!
Taking toys apart. From Melissa at Imagination Soup.
What is Tinkering?
The definition above suggests that it’s about improving something by making changes to it.
The Oxford Dictionaries says that to tinker is to “attempt to repair or improve something in a casual or desultory (unfocused) way.”
The Free Dictionary says that a tinkerer is “one who enjoys experimenting with and repairing machine parts.”
These are all helpful starting points, but hardly conclusive. The kind of tinkering that I’m advocating for is not the kind that’s unfocussed or lacking in purpose, although I can see how tinkering can appear unfocussed to someone who observes it in action. And it doesn’t have to be limited to machine parts and hammers, although it certainly finds a good home amongst these tools.
Gum Drop Sculptures, Tinkerlab
Nope, the tinkering I have in mind is full of focus and purpose, and succeeds at generating new ideas.
While we can easily imagine someone tinkering with a screw driver and an old toaster, let’s also consider how we could tinker with paint and brushes, paper cups and glue, an irrigation system, a 3-D printer, photo editing software (who’s spent hours editing a photo book or playing with Photoshop?), and ideas. This last one, ideas, is an extra fun one. Imagine a room full of creative thinkers with some sticky pads and Sharpies, and you get a clear picture of people tinkering with ways to make the world a better place.
When I think about a tinkerer, I envision a more expansive definition that looks like this:
Tinkerer: one who experiments with materials and ideas to fully understand their capacities, and who further iterates on their learning to find better solutions to current problems.
Tinkering is about hands-on experiences, learning from failures, and unstructured time to explore and invent. And through the processes of exploration and invention lies the potential for innovation.
Nuts and bolts. From Kristin at Toddler Approved
Now that we’ve covered the basics of tinkering, click here to read about why tinkering is important.
What does “tinkering” mean to you? Do you make time for tinkering?
Special thanks to Imagination Soup, Mama Smiles Blog, and Toddler Approved for sharing their tinkering images.
Hi, I didn’t even know this word in English, thank you for sharing! I also agree with all what you said, and wait for next week’s tinkering! 🙂
Cecilia
Hey Cecilia, It’s an old fashioned word that’s not often used, but I think it captures the spirit of the DIY movement, invention, and innovation. I love this word! Look forward to seeing you next week! ~rachelle
Great post. I fully believe in the power of unstructured time to tinker, but have a harder time convincing my husband. He grew up going to lessons 5 days a week so he still has that mentality.
So, a question relating to taking things apart… I started doing that with my son a while ago and then started wondering if electronics/small appliances contain heavy metals or other dangerous stuff. Does anyone know about this?
They can, Lindsey. Battery-operated objects (including those with rechargeable batteries built in) can also have electric charges that have not been discharged. We emphasize safety when we take things apart, and it’s wise to research what is inside the object before you start.
Great question! MaryAnne is right. It’s smart to do a little research with each thing you pull apart. The safest bet is to go with purely mechanical pieces that don’t run on electricity, like clocks. We disassembled a computer monitor, which is extremely dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, and while my husband was fully in control it wasn’t without anxiety. However, in the upcoming weeks I’ll share objects that are safe for kids to take apart!
My kids love tinkering! It’s a great way to explore, and learn safety rules for taking things apart and using tools as well!
And thanks again for sharing the great image of your tinkering duo!
I wouldn’t take apart phones, the solder often contains lead.
How about MAKING a phone instead? Give the child an old, simple 4-function calculator, some tape and the shell of a phone from which you’ve removed the boards.
Making a phone is a great idea, Emily!
lovely post; my little boy loves tinkering too; he likes his toy tools, but i think he’d prefer some mini real ones (like the mini spanners that come with fiddly things) – do they exist do you know? maybe a wooden set? sorry going OT there… my boy is 2.5 yrs, and his brain is ahead of his body so often gets really frustrated that he cant put things back together the way he wants (he’s also a perfectionist) – any tips? or simpler household things that work well for deconstructing?
What a fun post! I think my baby boy is definitely going to be a big tinker around here! 🙂
Oh, I can’t wait to see what the tinkering challenge is! I do love your challenges, and my oldest little girl is just getting to be of the tinkering age 🙂
My children tinker with things all the time trying to figure out how things work or taking it apart.
Hi Rachelle, this post date long time ago! My first language is french and I’m North American (Qc, Can). I’m an adult and a tinkerer but that can sound pejorative (Oxford) so I’m reluctant to use it.
Thank you, your blog post confirm the way I interpreted it. I would like to add that to tinker you got to use what’s already available around.
🙂 It’s not tinkering if it involve driving 15 miles to the mall to the fancy craft store with a 20 items long list! 🙂 🙂
DIY movement yeah