Clixo Classroom Activity Book Launch

The Clixo Classroom Activity Book is here!

At Clixo we have worked closely with educators from the very beginning, realizing that teachers are some of the most innovative and creative sources of knowledge and playfulness. As we received more messages about the unique ways teachers have been using Clixo with their students - it became clear that we needed to create a tool that would allow educators everywhere to replicate—and build on—the kinds of learning experiences in their own environments.

So we set out to develop our first Clixo Classroom Activity Book!

Where Great Ideas Begin

We started by revisiting activity ideas from past educator collaborators Josephine Koh and Andy Yung (who tried out Clixo activities with his son during COVID), who developed simple yet insightful Clixo activities for preschool and elementary classrooms. You can find some of their creations in the book, including Find a Match by Josephine, and Big Bubble Builders and Musical Instruments by Andy.

From Brainstorms to Build Challenges

From there, our Clixo EDU and design teams brainstormed new design and building challenges that add meaningful learning opportunities for younger students. Our goal was to connect the creative process with familiar concepts and experiences from children's everyday lives. Activities like Sensory Exploration engage students with the sound, sight, and feel of Clixo, while Shape Relay focuses on collaborative design, and Build a Bug encourages students to create creepy crawlies they might encounter in nature while exploring concepts of symmetry.

Five Paths to Playful Learning

As our ideas took shape, we organized them into five main categories that offer a variety of skills and types of engagement: Warm-up, Collaboration, STEAM, Storytelling, and The World Around Us. These categories allow the activities to add value and be adapted into almost any learning environment - school lessons, STEM programs, summer camps, theater play, or outdoor activities.

A Feature, Not a (Build-a) Bug

Our EDU team then developed each concept into a simple, structured educator guide. It was important that the guides provide teachers with the tools they need to facilitate each activity while leaving plenty of room for customization based on different learning goals, classroom needs, and teaching styles.

You might notice that neither of the guides provide a defined end result or target design. This is a feature, not a (build-a) bug. Clixo’s philosophy is that there is no “wrong” way to play, so our goal was to give students the freedom to interpret each prompt and challenge in their own unique way. Furthermore, this allows teachers to repeat the same activity multiple times with the same class, and each experience will lead to a completely different outcome while allowing students to expand and develop their skills.

Adding a Little Magic

Once the guides were drafted, we enlisted our talented graphic designer, Bella Porter. If you've seen Clixo’s social media or newsletters, you've probably already noticed Bella’s wonderful sense of whimsy and playfulness — something we wanted to carry into the book as well. Bella created the visual interpretations and illustrations for each challenge, no small feat considering some of the activities are intentionally abstract and open-ended. That's exactly why she's so good at what she does.

Tested by Teachers

With the first draft complete, we wanted feedback from real educators to understand how the activities could support classroom learning. So we turned to our Clixo Educator Ambassadors, who provided invaluable insights on the structure, language, and educational applications of each guide. Their feedback helped us better understand how the activities aligned with different teaching styles and learning outcomes.

Beyond the Book

One of the biggest insights we received was the need for supporting resources beyond the activity guides themselves. Educators wanted tools that would help students visualize ideas, find inspiration, and reflect on their learning. This led to the creation of our digital Idea Pages — QR-code-linked resources that include printable inspiration images showing both real-world and Clixo versions of activity subjects, along with student worksheets for documenting, reflecting on, and extending their learning individually or as a group.

Bringing It All Together

For these digital resources, we enlisted Sana Alimohamed, our EDU Coordinator, who brought her experience in curriculum development and game design. Together, Sana and Bella carefully considered how to scaffold each activity based on its target grade level, creating resources that leave both students and teachers with meaningful takeaways from the experience.

Fresh Off the Press

All that was left to do was print! We sent the final design to Clixo’s factory, and before long, the first copies were printed and ready to share with educators everywhere.

Ready, Set, Build!

We hope you'll enjoy exploring these activities, adapting them to meet the needs of your students, and creating magical hands-on learning experiences they'll remember for years to come.