VCE VM  

Facing the harshest critics!

Melissa Sherlock and Ebony Willison 

Year 12

As part of our Personal Development Skills unit, we were challenged to design and create an educational toy for young children—something that would spark their interest while also helping with brain development. 

The catch? We had to make it from scratch and using simple materials!

Our idea was to create a sensory toy using three empty plastic water bottles. We siled one bottle with rocks, one with rice, and the third with water, oil and food colouring. Each bottle offered a different sensory experience - a combination of sound, movement, and visual stimulation - all of which help support early childhood development. 

We had to pitch our toy to two parents and two children, explaining why it was fun, safe, and beneficial for children to play with.

We worked together really well as a team and used our communication skills to bring the idea to life. It ended up being such a hit and the children loved it  - so much that they actually took the toys home! 

It was a fun and creative experience, and it was so cool seeing everyone else’s ideas too. Honestly, we think our project totally should have won!