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I really don’t remember playing with toys. I grew up on a farm where there was always something interesting to do outside. When the weather was bad, there were always books to read, which would inspire other adventures. Thinking about this question has made me consider how toys are used define “play” and how engineering toys are still seen as those that involve building things or working with machines.

Wasn’t I using engineering design when I spent an afternoon trying different combinations of dirt, water, and grass in search of the perfect recipe for mud pies (which doubled as artillery shells when my brother was annoying me)? Wasn’t I exercising the same creative muscles engineers use to improve system efficiency when I was working out the best, most secret and stealthy route to the barn “clubhouse”?

In my personal experience, a lot of play was engineering. It was about figuring out how to do something or how to use what I found to accomplish what I wanted to do. I didn’t need a toy for that.