How can it be that some toys are long forgotten by adulthood and others are remembered and celebrated for a lifetime? Perhaps made-from-wood "oldies but goodies," like blocks, Lincoln Logs and Tinkertoys have the potential to offer more to kids than those toys with on / off switches.

In any case, a new exhibit at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum called "Tinkertoy: Build Your Imagination" opened this past weekend and runs through Jan. 24, 2010.

The exhibit celebrates Tinkertoys, which were invented in 1914, and at the same time introduces modern concepts.

The new exhibit was created by the Brinn museum, along with Playskool and Michael Barber, a GE officer, chief technology officer for GE Healthcare and the leader of GE's Healthymagination initiative.

"It's really exciting to work with the Betty Brinn Museum and to see kids using their hands and brains in new and creative ways," says Barber, a Milwaukee native and engineer who earned his degree at MSOE, interned at GE Healthcare and rose through the ranks of the company.

The exhibit is targeted to children ages 3 to 10 and features regular and giant replicas of the classic Tinkertoy construction set. Kids can bring their construction ideas to fruition by collaborating with other kids or working independently.

Through the exhibit, kids are introduced to biomimicry -- nature's influence on design -- as well as the concept of renewable energy by making their own wind-powered Tinkertoy fan.

Tinkertoy-inspired equipment lets children explore the concept of filtration, while a companion activity invites them to build ball tracks that illustrate how GE technologies help address the challenge of providing clean water.

Plus, visitors are able to fill a life-size human form with Tinkertoy hubs, play with a spectacular assortment of Tinkertoy pieces and a explore a walk-in replica of a Tinkertoy canister. The massive canister features a variety of educational materials that celebrate unconventional ideas and introduce some of the world's greatest -- and strangest -- inventions.

When "Tinkertoy: Build Your Imagination" leaves Milwaukee at the end of January, it will travel for four years to museums around the country to enchant and educate millions of children, just like Tinkertoys enchanted and educated Barber years ago.

"As a kid, I liked to build and experiment with Tinkertoys. It was a creative outlet for me and I will always have a fondness in the heart for what they can do," says Barber.