Sometimes we all need a pick-me-up. It’s so easy to become bogged down in our everyday routines. Maybe all you need is a little inspiration, something to make you feel enthusiastic again about that project you’ve been working on. No matter how much we like our jobs or believe in what we do, we all have days when we want work to be new, fresh, and exciting.

When conversations were started about bringing a manufacturing exhibit (inspired by Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’s “How People Make Things”) to the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas, I felt a new and exciting breeze blowing. For those who’ve never seen an episode of “How People Make Things,” Mister Rogers would visit factory floors and demonstrate the manufacturing process behind everyday objects like crayons, guitars, towels, and sneakers.

The manufacturing exhibit, with interactive activities and a simulated factory-floor experience, offers a safe, hands-on opportunity to make things. Children from preschool to high school get to use real tools, materials, machines, and processes found in manufacturing.

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