Our Story

Educator and author Ryan Jenkins leads Wonderful Idea Co., a creative studio developing resources to support the exploration of art, science and technology through making and tinkering. All of our projects are centered around a tinkering approach to learning that supports hands-on experimentation, deep investigation, playful experimentation and authentic collaborations.

We help partners develop their own practice to support exploration of phenomena, multiple entry points to experiences, an iterative approach and opportunities to learn from participants. Tinkering works best when it combines elements of art, science and technology and our workshops delve into themes like electrical circuits, light and shadow, alternative energy, block-based coding, cardboard construction, motions and mechanisms and sound and music.

Wonderful Idea Co. works with a wide network of partners and collaborators. Our team has developed tinkerable exhibits and immersive learning environments for Chabot Space and Science Center in California, OliOli Children’s Museum in Dubai, Scott Family Amazeum in Arkansas, Tullie House in the UK, The Exploratorium in California and Phaeno Science Center in Germany. We have run professional development workshops for educators with partners that have included Chen Yidan Foundation in China, Dharohar in India, The National Children’s Museum in Washington DC and Dokk1 Library in Denmark. And over the years we’ve worked with a wide variety of artists including Tom Fox of Vulpstruments, Playtronica, Lou Cousin of Cabaret Mechanical theater, A Secret Club and Radames Ajna.

Wonderful Idea Co was founded in 2017 by Ryan Jenkins and Nicole Catrett building on their decades of experience creating inspiring environments, engaging exhibits and impactful professional development workshops at The Exploratorium, a leader in the field of STEM education. As part of the Tinkering Studio team, they spent many years co-developing exhibits and activities that have been used, adapted and remixed in many libraries, classrooms, makerspaces and museums.

Who We've Worked With

Amazeum // Ars Electronica // Benesse Corporation // Brandeis School of San Francisco // Brightworks // Cabaret Mechanical Theatre // CEISMC at Georgia Tech // Chabot Space and Science Center // Chibitronics // Connecticut Science Center // The Contemporary Jewish Museum // Deutsches Museum // Dharohar // Dokk1 // Elztal Museum // En hemmelig klub // ETH Zurich // Experimenta // Google // Joylabz // Juniors Center of Art and Science // Karkhana // KID Museum // The LEGO foundation // LEGO group // Lodestar Community Charter School // MAKE Magazine // Makerlab Extreme // Manylabs // MIT Media Lab // Moving Toys Workshop // National Children’s Museum // National Taiwan Science Education Center // Nexmap // NEXUS Experiments // OliOli // Peabody Essex Museum // Phaeno Wolfsburg // Quai Des Savoirs // Science for Monks and Nuns // Strawbees // Tinkering School // The Tinkering Studio // Tinker Tank // Universum