Business Opportunity:
Hold Toymaking Workshops
Unique STEM workshops meet a strong demand
Proof of Concept
When I first came up with the idea for the Cardboard Toy World, I knew that parents worldwide searched for STEM educational resources – especially for ones that use fascinating projects.
To find out if the Cardboard Toy World could help satisfy this need, I began offering workshops in my local community. I quickly discovered that homeschooling parents form networks, and I gained introduction to a few of them. Offering workshops to these parents was my only marketing.
My workshops filled up immediately. There are plenty of arts & crafts workshops. But there are practically none with a strong STEM educational component. None that involve engineering or mechanics.
My workshops were profitable from the very beginning. I charged the going rate for an arts & crafts workshop. This easily covers the cost of the printed blueprints. Only two workshops a week profited enough to pay rent. It's been almost a year now, and demand has always been high. New students arrive constantly, all from word-of-mouth. That's how strong this demand is. I was and am astonished.
How The Workshops Run
The structure of a workshop is straightforward. I bring ten or so completed toys and a stack of blueprints for each of them. Learners pick the toy they want to make. I give them the blueprints. For the next 90 minutes, I circle and help each learner individually. Some rely on me to show them how to do the assembly. Many watch the video on their phone and largely work on their own.
At the end of the session, most have finished their toy. Those who have not take their project home to complete it with the video. This way, every time a student comes they can make something different.
The workshops are easy because the kids are so focused. I openly tell them that Cardboard Toy World projects are not meant to be easy. They are meant to be satisfying. Experienced Toymakers know that accuracy is greatly rewarded, and so their intensity guides any new students. Their parents are deeply impressed.
When they finish they look at me with near amazement, as though they don't quite believe that they made the toy in their hands. And it's a toy! So their accomplishment makes them smile. There's something deeply funny about the whole thing. We're making a silly toy while using terms like "rocker bar" and "slip joint." They eagerly come back next week and dive into a new project.
Join Us in Meeting This Demand
I'm now working with other educators in my area. I'm teaching them how to hold workshops so they can meet this demand and profit for themselves. But there's a huge gap that I am working hard to fill: the blueprints need to be readily available anywhere. Over the course of 2026, I intend to bring a couple dozen of them to market.
If you are interested in holding workshops like this, please click below and we will get in touch.
Here we go!
- Tom