Author: jackiew

Friendships are one of the most meaningful parts of childhood. From sharing ideas to celebrating successes, the connections children make help shape their confidence, communication skills, and overall well-being. This National Friendship Day, we’re celebrating the power of teamwork and the incredible friendships that grow through every Challenge Island adventure.

One of the most rewarding parts of Challenge Island is watching friendships blossom. Kids often arrive not knowing anyone, but by the end of a session, they’ve shared laughs, overcome challenges together, and created memories they’ll remember long after the adventure ends. Working toward a common goal helps friendships form in a way that feels fun, natural, and meaningful.

This National Friendship Day, celebrate the friendships that inspire creativity, kindness, and collaboration. At Challenge Island, every challenge is more than a STEAM adventure—it’s an opportunity to connect, grow, and discover that the greatest creations are often built together.

International Women in Engineering Day shines a spotlight on the brilliant women who design, invent, problem-solve, and help shape the world around us. From bridges and airplanes to robotics and renewable energy, women engineers continue to make incredible contributions across every area of STEM. At Challenge Island, inspiring the next generation of innovators means encouraging all children — especially girls — to see themselves as future creators, builders, and leaders.

Throughout history, many groundbreaking achievements in engineering were made possible by women who challenged expectations and pushed boundaries. Emily Roebling played a critical role in completing the Brooklyn Bridge. Katherine Johnson helped calculate spaceflight trajectories that changed history. Today, women continue leading advancements in aerospace, environmental science, architecture, biomedical engineering, and countless other fields.

Hands-on STEM experiences are an important way to help children build confidence in engineering and problem-solving from an early age. When kids work together to design structures, invent solutions, and tackle creative challenges, they learn that engineering is not only about math and science — it’s also about imagination, teamwork, resilience, and innovation.

This International Women in Engineering Day, we celebrate the women who continue to inspire future generations to dream bigger and build boldly. Every child deserves the chance to explore STEM in a fun, encouraging environment where creativity and curiosity can grow — and where tomorrow’s engineers can begin their journey today.

With excitement building around Toy Story 5, many fans are already talking about one of the movie’s biggest themes: the growing role of screens in children’s lives. Early previews suggest the beloved toys may once again be fighting for kids’ attention — this time against tablets, devices, and digital distractions. It’s a story that feels especially relevant today, and one that closely connects to the mission of Challenge Island.

At Challenge Island®, children step away from screens and into worlds of imagination, collaboration, and creativity. Instead of scrolling, kids are designing roller coasters, building islands, solving engineering challenges, and creating inventions together. These hands-on experiences encourage communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills that can sometimes get lost in an overly digital world.

Of course, technology has its place, and there are many positive ways kids can learn online. But childhood also needs moments of unplugged exploration — the kind where cardboard becomes a castle, tape becomes a tool for invention, and teamwork turns into adventure. Screen-free STEM learning gives children opportunities to think independently, experiment freely, and engage with the real world around them.

As families look ahead to summer and beyond, Toy Story’s message feels like an important reminder: imagination thrives when kids are actively creating, not just consuming. Whether they’re engineering a challenge, inventing with teammates, or laughing through a hands-on adventure, Challenge Island® helps children rediscover the magic of learning through play — no batteries required.

Check out our upcoming hands on STEAM Programming

Every year on World Environment Day, families around the globe are encouraged to think about how small actions can make a big impact on our planet. At Challenge Island, environmental creativity is part of the adventure every single day. From cardboard and paper towel tubes to bottle caps and boxes, many Challenge Island® STEM challenges are powered by recycled materials that spark imagination while reducing waste.

One of the most exciting things about hands-on STEM learning is showing kids that innovation doesn’t always start with fancy supplies. Some of the best inventions begin with simple materials and a big idea. When children transform everyday recyclables into bridges, towers, vehicles, and imaginative creations, they learn valuable lessons about engineering, problem-solving, and sustainability all at once.

Recycled-material building challenges also encourage children to think differently about the world around them. A cereal box becomes the base of a structure. Plastic lids become wheels. Newspaper transforms into architectural support. These experiences help children develop creativity and resourcefulness while discovering that protecting the planet can be fun, collaborative, and inspiring.

World Environment Day is a wonderful reminder that the next generation of innovators will help shape a greener future. By encouraging kids to reuse, invent, and engineer with purpose, Challenge Island® helps young learners understand that even small materials can lead to big possibilities. Sometimes the greatest creations begin in the recycling bin!