How Making Things Builds Resilience As a child, I was always encouraged to tinker, build, and create. Little did I know that this love for making things would not only shape my career as an innovative teacher but also build a foundation of resilience that would serve me throughout my life. The Power of Hands-On Learning Looking back, I realize that those hours spent in my father’s workshop were more than just fun and games. They were crucial experiences that fostered important skills and mindsets contributing to resilience. As the research shows, making, building, crafting, and STEM activities are excellent ways to build resilience in children [ https://www.lego.com/en-us/how-to-build-resilience-in-children ]. Problem-Solving and Persistence Every project I tackled as a young maker presented its own set of challenges. Sometimes, my initial ideas didn't work out as planned. But instead of giving up, I learned to approach problems systematically, try multiple strategies when my first