Classroom
What happens when you mix theater, outer space, and a pile of colorful magnetic building pieces? At Child’s Play NY this summer, the answer was pure magic.
We teamed up with their talented theater campers for The Sci-Fi Fair, an original play set at the ever-inventive Asimov Elementary. The story? Students are preparing for the annual science fair with time machines, alien translators, mind-control devices, and… a ficus with the voice of an angel. But when the fight for first place puts the school (and the space-time continuum!) at risk, the kids have to band together to save the day.
From Flat Patterns to Fantastic Props
In steps Clixo - bringing a creative challenge to the room: Let’s build the inventions for the fair!
Campers grabbed handfuls of flexible magnetic Clixo pieces and let their imaginations run wild. One camper started with creating an elaborate flat 2D pattern—snap, fold, and twist, and suddenly it was a tunnel. Moments later, it shapeshifted into a large tote bag, adding style to space.
An innovative camper created an octopus space monster with dangling tentacles. Another created a fish attached to a rod, while others experimented with building devices, using the power of magnets to create movement and bounciness. Across the room, budding scientists were assembling futuristic space transport devices, from sleek teleporters to handheld “beam machines” that could whisk a character to another galaxy in seconds.
Props That Evolve With the Story
The best part? The builds weren’t static. As rehearsals got underway, props transformed.
· A robot claw became a control lever.
· An antenna doubled as a musical instrument.
· A spaceship hatch turned into a time portal.
The fluidity of Clixo meant the inventions could evolve right alongside the story, allowing campers to adapt their creations as the plot developed.
From Build to Presentation
When it was time to present, the campers shared their innovative building stories. Each inventor explained how their gadget worked, how they designed it, and how they can continue to expand their idea.
This added a whole new dimension to the performance, giving the group a peek into the inventors’ minds and adding extra layers of humor, wonder, and character depth.
Teacher’s Takeaways
Theater teacher Janet Kilonzo loved how Clixo fueled the process:
“Clixo helps them come up with different props for their plays, and with different ways that they could imagine the characters by giving them something literally physical to do with their hands. It’s also helped a lot with when some of them have breaks and they need something to do. So they're able to use this and just come up with new inventive stuff. It's been very helpful with management and character building.”
“Some of them will use it and make daily things, like a handbag, and then there'll be the opposite end - where somebody will make a spaceship to take you to mars. So it's amazing to see how nice and simple they can make it, and also how extraordinary they can take it with just the simple thing.”
A Creative Lab in Action
The Sci-Fi Fair became so much more than a play—it was a buzzing creative lab. Kids learned to problem-solve, adapt, and work together, while discovering that the props in their hands could spark new scenes,characters, and plot twists.
From tunnels-turned-bags to creatures from distant galaxies to gadgets that could launch you into space, the Clixo x Child’s Play NY Sci-Fi Fair proved one thing: with the right tools, an open stage, and boundless imagination, the possibilities are truly out of this world.
