The Lab Toowoomba and Highfields

18/06/2026

🎮 NATIONAL FUSE CUP ENTRY SUBMITTED! 🎮

This year The Lab decided to test the waters and enter the FUSE Cup Minecraft Education Blockbuster Builds competition for the first time.

As with many new opportunities, someone has to be willing to be first. A small team volunteered to help us trial the process, learn the requirements, navigate the technology, and see what is involved in participating in a national Minecraft Education competition.

The project challenged participants to research, plan, build, collaborate and create a short presentation explaining their design choices. It was a fantastic opportunity to develop skills in creativity, communication, digital technologies, problem-solving and teamwork.

Most importantly, we've learned a lot about the competition and what it takes to participate, which will help us support future teams from The Lab.

We're proud of the effort that went into this project and excited to see where it leads.

Check out the 3-minute competition entry below and wish our team luck! 🎮🏆

The Lab Australia: Community for Autistic Gamers

01/06/2026

🤖🎮 NEW LAB CHALLENGE: Code Your Own Fidget! 🎈✨

This week we're combining making, creativity, coding, and trading games into one fun project!
✅ Make your own squishy fidget
✅ Code a virtual version in Scratch or MakeCode
✅ Collect, trade and upgrade your digital fidgets

Kids can create their own collection, trade for better fidgets

Perfect for creators who love:
🎮 Games
💻 Coding
🎨 Design

At The Lab, we love projects that start in the real world and continue into the digital world. Build it, personalise it, then bring it to life through code pronciples.

06/05/2026

‼️ NEW‼️The Lab Highfields 🎮🕹

Tech • Games • Fun

The Lab Tech community are excited to be launching a new Lab session at Highfields. A relaxed, welcoming space for young people to connect, create and have fun.

In weekly sessions during term time, our experienced mentors support young autistic gamers to build social, technical and vocational skills through shared interests and activities.

Designed as a low-pressure, supportive environment, our sessions are:
✔ low-demand
✔ participant-led
✔ focused on connection, confidence, friendships and community

Our sessions include:
🎮 Social gaming
💻 Coding & programming
🧩 Lego & creative builds
🎨 Digital design

🧠 Target ages: 8–14 (current participants 9–13)

📍 Highfields Library
🕒 Mondays 3:15pm – 4:45pm
📅 Starting 18th May 2026

Group size is capped at 5 initially, with the option to expand as the group builds and relationships form.

To register:
https://thelab.org.au/join-a-lab/⁠
For more information, feel free to message or visit:
https://thelab.org.au/

06/05/2026

💻☕ CODE + CREATE: MOTHER’S DAY MUGS 💐

This week at The Lab, we’re mixing creativity + coding + making to create something truly special 💙

Instead of just decorating a mug…
our gamers will design, code and build their own custom mug for Mum.

✨ Write a message
✨ Create a pattern (their “code”)
✨ Design it in Cricut
✨ Cut & apply permanent vinyl

Every mug is completely unique — and made with real thought and intention.
It’s not just a gift… it’s something they’ve designed and built themselves.

🧠 What they’re learning (without even realising):
✔️ Pattern logic + sequencing
✔️ Creative design thinking
✔️ Hands-on making skills

22/04/2026

Do know there’s a story behind Anzac biscuits? 🇦🇺❤️

Anzac biscuits date back to World War I, when families in Australia and New Zealand wanted to send something homemade to soldiers fighting overseas.

Because fresh food wouldn’t survive the long journey by ship, they created a biscuit made from simple pantry ingredients: oats, flour, sugar, coconut and golden syrup that would last for weeks without spoiling.

These biscuits became a small but powerful way to show care, connection and support from home 💛

Today, Anzac biscuits are more than just a treat, they’re part of our history and a way to remember the resilience, courage and community spirit of that time.

At The Lab, we’ve turned this classic recipe into something a little different…

✨ Coding + baking = learning in action!

Our kids are: 👩‍💻 Turning recipes into algorithms
🔁 Using loops to cook in batches
🧠 Debugging “broken” recipes
🍪 And (of course) enjoying the results

Because learning should be hands-on, creative, and a little bit delicious.

31/03/2026