Our Y9 and Y10 FabLab class have been busy with an exciting project that gives back to our community.

Students were tasked with designing a toy monster for the the Foster Hope organization in Blenheim whose mission is to ensure every child in care deserves to know that their community cares about them. 

They also had to design it to meet Health and Safety specifications to ensure that no parts came off and that it would stay together when played with. 

No two student designs are the same, and some have included a note introducing the monster and sending hope and love to the child. Jaye and Olivia share their perspective on the project below:

Our goal was to make cute and fun monster toys for children in foster care. We wanted to create a new friend for these kids, in hopes to show them they are not alone. There were so many different variations of these dolls made throughout the class, all unique and different for each child it's going to. There were plenty of different colours that were used to make the toys eye-catching and appealing to all the kids.

Making sure the toys would be safe to use, we followed a serious of guidelines. Some including being sure our decorative add ons were tightly stitched, ensuring there would be no way of a child ripping it off creating a choking hazard. Putting the skills we have learnt this past semester to use.

These unique toys can provide comfort, companionship, and a sense of security to children who may have experienced trauma or difficult circumstances. This project is extremely rewarding and meaningful to us. We hope it puts a smile on someones face!
Jaye Wiapo & Olivia Brown

To find out more about Foster Hope just click here.