1. give one at a time
2. increase size of discs
3. let all go through the chutes initially (so that too big ones fall through too)
4. don’t show the size of holes
5. use varied colored backgrounds to distract

Location: Table inside the entrance of Lawrence Hall of Science

3 kids. Ages ~3 and 4

• has to stand on stool to reach
• dropping balls on floor, rolling away
• have to hold up prototype so it doesn’t fall over
• putting balls in bins without thinking
• one kid holding on to ball (just holding not putting in bin)
• excited to make stickers

 
3 girls, ages ~6-7

• how did you know this was compost “because it’s leftovers”
• later, after playing for a few minutes, how did you know this was compost? “because it’s small”
• do you know what happens when you recycle? “it becomes new things”
• tried to walk her through pictures. she saw the garbage truck but then jumped to the end where it becomes new things
• other girl has glass bottle ball. first goes for trash. I asked her where else could it go, and she selects compost. I ask if she thinks it could be something else. She says no for recycling, and I point to the new glass picture and she puts it in recycling

3 girls, ages 10, 10 and 11

• how do you know? “sizes”
• what happens when you recycle? “turns into new things”
• rushing to try to put them in all of the holes. just seeing if they fit, not whether they can be recycled

boy and girl, ages 7 and 7

• boy spends time working with Brian to put things in bins
• tries to but the hose in the recycling
• I ask him where else it could go, and he looks with hesitation ans waits for confirmation from me before dropping it in the recycling

boy, ~age 4

• puts one in slowly
• 2 other kids come by (~ages 4 and 5): “I want to do this” adult says “wait your turn”
• younger boy is putting the ball in his mouth (note: choking hazard!)

boy, age 10

• first one he tried was puting the hose in the recycling
• the ball say there and didn’t do anything, but he didn’t seem to notice that he had made the wrong decision (i.e. nothing went down the tube)
• asked him why he thought the hose could be recycled and he said because it can be melted
• I walked him through why it should go in the landfill
• then he started going really quickly and putting all of the compost in the compost bin.
• asked him how he knows “because they are small”
• do you know what happens when you recycle? “it gets burned and then turned into something else”
• what could we do to make this more challenging? cover up holes so you can’t see them. make balls really close in size but just a little different

3 boys, ages 10, 10, and 10 (friends)

• competing against each other’s times
• Brian making sound when they choose the wrong one
• first boy gets a lot wrong
• boys laughing (with him, not at him) when he gets them wrong
• taunting each other about their times
• other kids crowding around to watch
• one kid who had already gone, looking over his friend’s shoulder “matthew’s gonna win. look at the time. oh, matthew probably won”
• “It’s actually pretty fun”

3 boys, about 10

• puts one in, Brian makes sound. boy asks “is it wrong?” other boy “it doesn’t fit there”
• boys all working together to put them in bins
• keep asking “who won?”
• Brian tells them the last team beat you. boys seem bummed but aren’t interested in playing again

6 kids, mix of boys and girls. all 10ish. decide to play 3 against 3

• first group looks carefully at each item
• boy “a hose? I think you can recycle” Brian makes sound. boy “Oh I guess landfill”
• after first group finished, other 3 lose interest and walk away

one girl, age 10

• much more creaful
• examines each one
• Brian gives her a lot of encouragement after each one
• at the end, tells her time is 1 minute 34 seconds, and she says “yay!” (even though she has nothing to compare it to)

Takeaways:

• kids notice differences in sizes
• balls roll everywhere, bounce, are a choking hazard
• timing seemed to be an encouragement, especially for older kids (boys competing against each other)
• young kids were excited about the stickers
• needs to be impossible for incorrect balls to go down wrong tubes
• kids didn’t pay much attention to process information
• many knew that recycled things can turn into something else
• one kid’s knowledge of recycling made him make the wrong decision (wanted to recycled the hose because it can be melted)
• feedback about wrong choices is useful
• need a takeaway (brochure? informative sticker?)

Goals 

1. Test visualizing recycling process.
2. Test make-your-own sticker.
3. Test timed competition.

Phase 1: Focus on recycling process. Talk to kids about the what happens when something is recycled as they play.

Phase 2: Let kids make their own stickers from stamps.

Phase 3: Time kids and have them compete against each other. Make a buzzing sound when they guess incorrectly.