Mushroom
Toy Blocks
In today’s world, toys for kids are regularly made out of plastic, a material that is non-biodegradable and inturn is left to build up in the environment. It is even analyzed that 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans per year [38], affecting fragile ecosystems. With this in mind, this project is meant to introduce kids to not just playing with biodegradable toys, but also to make these toys themselves in order to promote learning about sustainability in a fun and empowering way early on.
Mycelium is a wonderful material for this endeavor and is suitable for everyday play because of its sturdiness. Also, since mycelium can fill the shape of most any mold it grows in, it is a fantastic material for making custom toys. Kids can easily make their own modifications to the design by carving the molds that make the toys or basing the molds on pre-existing items.
For this project, we made mycelium building blocks in the shape of tetrahedrons [8], or three-sided pyramids, which can be assembled into any configuration you can imagine [20]. The molds for the blocks are made of silicone rubber and use pre-constructed blocks (which for this particular project, we made it 3D printed with recyclable PLA [4]) to make the shape of the mold. The mold can be reused to make many replicas of the blocks instead of having to waste more plastic on additional copies. These little pyramids also connect together using neodymium magnets that can be reused once you are ready to make something new. Thus, this project also demonstrates the power of recycling when having to work with materials that are not biodegradable.
By getting kids involved in the process of making their toys in this context of biodegradability and recycling, we can introduce them to sustainability and talk about why it is important to be aware of what we put out into the environment, all while engaging in play and fun. So, when you want to give your kid a unique present that will teach them life-long lessons on sustainability, you can feel good about using these Mushroom Toy Blocks.
Molds
Tools
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Oomoo 30 Silicone Rubber Compound kit
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3 PLA 3D Printed Model Blocks
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Shoebox or shoebox-sized container
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Disposable container
large enough to fully
submerge blocks
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Tape
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Scissors
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Drill (3/8" diameter)
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Super glue
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Pencil
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Mixing bowl for mold
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Newspaper
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Small neodymium magnets 3/8” diameter, 1/16” thick (4 per block)
Mycelium
Materials
Step one
Step two
Step three
Step four
Final steps
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Mold Creation Process
3D print 3 model blocks using provided STL file or find an object to base the blocks on
Cover workspace with newspaper
Once printed, tape the model blocks securely onto bottom of disposable container (make sure they are in direct contact with the surface of bottom of the container)
Place the container in a shoebox
Take out a mixing bowl, Oomoo kit, and spoon
Put on non-latex gloves and long sleeves (could lead to an allergic reaction or chemical burn if you are allergic to latex)
Pour part A and B in a 1:1 ratio in a mixing bowl Seal oomoo kit jars to limit exposure to air
Mix part A and B in the bowl until mixture is a lavender color
Pour the lavender silicone mixture into th container making sure to fully submerge the blocks
Wait 6 hours for molds to fully cure
Cut molds out of the container with scissors
Use scissors to extract blocks from mold
Final Artifact Process
Mark the center of each face of block with a pencil
Drill a shallow hole that is 3/8 inches in diameter (adults only should handle this step)
Put superglue at the bottom of the hole and on one side of the magnets
Drop in magnets into the holes with the superglue side making contact with the bottom of the holes
Use the blunt end of the pencil to pack the magnets down in the holes so that it adheres to the bottom of the holes
Let glue cure for 24 hours
Enjoy your new toy!
