Social Impacts

Toys for Thoughts is a club dedicated to developing 3D-printed toys that support cognitive health. The club addresses the growing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, a brain disorder that erodes memory and thinking ability. The Alzheimer's Association projects that 13.8 million people in the U.S. will be living with it by 2060.

This work is personal for me. I watched my grandfather slowly lose pieces of himself to Alzheimer's, and it was one of the hardest things my family has been through. Later, scrolling through social media and doing my own research, I realized how many other families were going through the same thing. That's what inspired me to step up as leader of Toys for Thoughts and put my design skills to good use.

Our toys are designed to facilitate cognitive stimulation by encouraging problem-solving, memory recall, sensory engagement, and fine motor coordination. We use a mix of colors and materials for visual and tactile variety, build in mechanisms that foster hands-on interaction, and include simple instruction and pattern cards so the toys are easy to pick up and genuinely enjoyable to use.

As club leader, I run a team of more than 15 students researching how toys can support mental stimulation in older adults. I also oversee the entire toy development process from brainstorming toy concepts to creating CAD models and prototypes, using Fusion 360, 3D printers, and CNC routers.

Over 2025 and 2026, we've made regular visits to a senior center in Jeju, South Korea, donating more than 50 toys and running hands-on workshops there. At each session, we observe how the residents actually use the toys and gather their feedback firsthand, which we then incorporate into our designs. That process has pushed us to make toys that are more accessible and better suited to the range of cognitive abilities of older adults.