Materials such as plasticine clay, colorful wire and felt shapes can be transformed and combined in infinite ways to encourage imagination, story …can be used over and over in the classroom or at home.
Hatch PlayKit:
A pouch full of possibility
A Pouch Full of Possibility
〰️
A Pouch Full of Possibility 〰️
What’s inside the bag?
Each kit includes is unique and includes a mix of materials from three categories:
Materials that bend, hold, connect, and transform.
(Like play-doh, colorful wire, pipecleaners…)
Shapeables
Familiar objects that invite stories, wondering, and play.
(Like shells, miniature animals, wooden buttons…)
Sparks
Loose parts that stand in for ideas, people, places, and feelings. (Like glass beads, feathers, popsicle sticks…)
Symbols
Ways to Play
Transform Materials
When children repurpose materials, they’re inventing new uses — a powerful creative act.
A peg doll becomes a clay rolling pin.
A wire becomes a bridge, a boundary, or a connector.
A wooden shape turns into a tool, a character, or a symbol.
Build Small Worlds
World-building supports imagination, narrative thinking, and emotional expression.
Containers, tins, and trays invite storytelling
A metal tin holds a tiny world, loose parts become landscapes and homes
Small figures take on big roles
Combine & Recombine
Innovation often lives in unexpected pairings.
Press symbols into clay.
Wrap wire around wooden forms.
Add a familiar object to something abstract.
New combinations lead to new ideas — and new questions.
Tells Stories
Stories don’t always start with language.
Arrange materials to show what’s happening.
Change the scene. Add a character.
Let the story unfold over time.
You might hear a story — or you might just see it.
Learning and Teaching with PlayKit
Tips and prompts for teachers and caregivers using Hatch PlayKits
Trying something new, combining ideas, imagining possibilities
“That’s a new idea.”
“You’re combining things in an interesting way.”
“I wonder what made you try that.”
“This looks different than before.”
Creativity & Innovation
Social Emotional Learning without naming it
“You stuck with that.”
“That took patience.”
“You figured something out.”
“I see you trying again.”
Confidence & Persistence
STEM Thinking
Problem-solving, cause and effect, systems
“What happens if…?”
“What changed?”
“How did you make that work?”
“What do you notice?”
Story, Symbols, and Meaning
Representation, narrative, emotional expression
“Tell me the story of this.”
“What does this part mean to you?”
“Who or what is in the story?”
“What’s happening now?”
