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Creativity Carnival

Creativity Carnival: Ideas Unleashed

February 10-13 in the Student Innovation Center

Creativity Carnival is a four-day celebration of curiosity, imagination, and hands-on exploration at the Student Innovation Center. Designed to inspire creative thinking and spark new ideas, this interactive event invites students to drop in, try something new, and engage with creativity in fun, low-pressure ways.

From building and designing to collaborating and reflecting, Creativity Carnival offers something for every kind of innovator. Come explore, experiment, and see where your creativity can take you.

Activities By Day

  • Creativity In Bloom: What helps to inspire your creativity?  Join us to include your piece in our collaborative, interactive garden of creativity, where, at the end of the week, we will be able to see how working together and sharing our individual ideas and inspiration can create something much greater than our individual parts.
  • Collaborate With Color: Add a little color to the world. Contribute to a shared mural and see how individual creativity comes together to create something collectively innovative and beautiful.
  • More Brains The Better: Big challenges are rarely solved alone. Innovation thrives when ideas collide, perspectives overlap, and many minds work together. This interactive giant mind map invites learners to step out of isolation and into collective problem-solving.
    Add your ideas, questions, or sketches to the map and explore how others are thinking. Watch solutions evolve, connections form, and creativity grow as more voices contribute.
  • Wonder Wall: Creativity begins with curiosity. It grows through wonder, awe, and the courage to ask questions without needing immediate answers. Too often, we focus on finding the right answer instead of exploring all the possibilities in between.
    The Wonder Wall invites learners to pause, reflect, and share the questions that spark their imagination. Add a big question, a wild idea, or something you’ve always wondered about and explore the collective curiosity of fellow Iowa Staters. Be inspired, inspire others, and celebrate the power of wondering together.
  • Circle Challenge: It’s easier to develop a great idea when you have many ideas to choose from. The Circle Challenge is a quick practice in ideation. The goal is to push you to test your creativity by turning circles into recognizable objects in 3 minutes (think smiley face, basketball, etc.)
  • Spin Wheel: Think you know the definition of divergent thinking and other creativity-related trivia? Want to learn? Come test your knowledge on creativity on our Spin Wheel to win a prize!
  • AI Idea Jam: Curious about innovation and AI, but not sure where to start? Join us to learn how to use AI as a creative assistant to discover opportunities and develop innovative solutions. No prior experience or existing ideas needed – just bring your creativity and willingness to learn!

  • Scrap Art: What can you create using hand tools, scraps, and your imagination? Join us to build, create, and bring an idea to life. See what you can create!
  • Wood Lathe Demo: A wood lathe is the ultimate tool for bringing wood to life. With the power to spin raw blocks into stunning works of art, it lets you craft everything from custom pool cues, baseball bats, smooth bowls, and custom handles. If you need to shape, carve, or sand, a wood lathe transforms wood into extraordinary, one-of-a-kind creations. Perfect for those who love turning ideas into reality.
  • Design to Build–Woodworking: Chat with Brendan Zimmermann, Shop Supervisor, about how to get started in the Metal and Wood Shop Makerspace!  Discuss your idea, outline the materials and tools you will need, refine or create a plan, and let us help you turn your idea into reality.

  • Scrap Art: What can you create using hand tools, scraps, and your imagination? Join us to build, create, and bring an idea to life. See what you can create!
  • Wood Lathe Demo: A wood lathe is the ultimate tool for bringing wood to life. With the power to spin raw blocks into stunning works of art, it lets you craft everything from custom pool cues, baseball bats, smooth bowls, and custom handles. If you need to shape, carve, or sand, a wood lathe transforms wood into extraordinary, one-of-a-kind creations. Perfect for those who love turning ideas into reality.
  • Egg Drop Challenge: Put your creativity and problem-solving skills to the test in the Egg Drop Challenge! Using scrap materials, individuals or teams will design and build a protective contraption to keep an egg intact as it drops from the second floor to the first floor of the Student Innovation Center. Students will have 20 minutes to build, followed by 10 minutes to drop their design and clean up. Challenge sessions begin at 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, and 2:30 pm. Pick a time, beat the clock, and see if your design survives the fall.
  • Podcast With A Stranger: Have you ever thought about starting a podcast, but just don’t know where to start? Why not with a stranger! Come check out the DMS mobile podcast station, where you and your friends can come and talk about anything you want by yourselves or with anyone else that stops by!

  • Tower Building Challenge: Reach new heights in the Tower Building Challenge! Using scrap materials, individuals or teams will race against the clock to construct the tallest structure among all participants. Builders will have 10 minutes to design and build, followed by 10 minutes to clean up. Challenge sessions kick off at 9:30 am, 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, and 11:30 am. Stack smart, build fast, and see whose tower rises above the rest!
  • CNC Hand Router Demo: A versatile and common woodworking tool with the addition of CNC capabilities, the Shaper Origin CNC Hand Router can help bridge the gap in your next project. Make custom designs or download from their website to build full-scale furniture or patterns to make other projects easier.
  • Design To Build–Woodworking: Chat with Brendan Zimmermann, Shop Supervisor, about how to get started in the Metal and Wood Shop Makerspace!  Discuss your idea, outline the materials and tools you will need, refine or create a plan, and let us help you turn your idea into reality.
  • Digital Welder Competition (10:00am – 12:15pm): The VR welder is a skill-building tool with the ability to allow for accurate practice of MIG welding techniques without having to use real material. Experience this by using a modified welding helmet or through a portable screen that gives technique feedback and can even set up specific scenarios if needed.

  • Scrap Art: What can you create using hand tools, scraps, and your imagination? Join us to build, create, and bring an idea to life. See what you can create!
  • Snip, Style, Slay: Show off your fashion flair in Snip, Style, Slay! Using scrap pieces of various textiles, you’ll drape, pin, and transform fabric into bold looks on a dress form, turning everyday materials into runway-ready creations. Stop by to experiment, play, and let your creativity take center stage.
  • CNC Hand Router Demo: A versatile and common woodworking tool with the addition of CNC capabilities, the Shaper Origin CNC Hand Router can help bridge the gap in your next project. Make custom designs or download from their website to build full-scale furniture or patterns to make other projects easier.

Creativity In Action

From building and experimenting to collaborating and creating, here’s a glimpse at past Creativity Carnival activities and highlights.