Adria is a pediatric speech language pathologist. She LOVES working with kids, she loves supporting families, and somewhere along the way, that path led her straight into one of the most delightfully surreal local businesses we have ever experienced: Bumpa Built, a 3D printing company in Somers, CT that feels like a mashup of a maker lab, a toy store, and a creativity factory.
Adria, in a sentence, is powered by three big loves:
- Helping children and their families find their voice
- Collecting limited edition plushies and adorable little knick knacks
- Exploring anything whimsical, curious, or just plain fun
Bumpa Built checks every single box.
From One Bearded Dragon To A Whole Creative Universe
The origin story of Bumpa Built could have been pulled from a Pixar storyboard.
It started with a little boy asking his dad a simple question:
“Can you make me a bearded dragon toy on the 3D printer?”
They did. He loved it. His friends loved it. The toy went to a birthday party. Suddenly everyone wanted one. That tiny spark turned into a full blown creative engine.
Adam and Jackie Rivard, inspired by Adam’s dad, “Bumpa,” went from printing toys in their home to running what is now essentially a small print farm, with dozens of 3D printers humming along day and night. They built a big community on TikTok, opened a storefront in Somers, and now host workshops, birthday parties, and STEM programs where kids and adults come to learn, create, and bring their own ideas to life.
It is not just a shop. It is an environment where curiosity, play, and making things with your hands are encouraged at full volume. Which, if you ask me, is a pretty solid foundation for a healthy community.
The Scavenger Hunt That Turned Into A Quest
One of the most creative ideas the Bumpa Built team cooked up was a series of community scavenger hunts.
Here is the premise: they partner with local businesses, design a special limited edition fidget or character that reflects each location, hide it on site, and then publish a map so people can hunt them down and collect the whole set.
On their side, it is already a multi level health investment:
- They co create 3D printed toys that reflect and celebrate each local business.
- They connect with business owners, staff, and other community members in the process.
- They think strategically about travel radius so the hunt stays fun and accessible.
- They intentionally expose people to new neighborhoods and environments.
- They design an experience that feels like an adventure, not just a promotion.
On our side, it turned into something much bigger than “let us go grab a few cute collectibles.”
Two Grown Adults, One Map, And Very Real Stakes
When Adria and I decided to join the scavenger hunt, it quickly became one of our favorite shared missions.
We planned routes, decoded clues, and found ourselves walking into businesses we had never even noticed before. That on its own felt like a win. We rediscovered toy stores and hobby shops that transported us straight back into childhood.
One highlight was Time Machine Hobby in Manchester, CT, a multi level toy and hobby store packed with classic toys, model kits, and a legendary train layout that feels like stepping into a living storybook.
We talked with owners, asked questions, and swapped stories with other hunters. We also experienced something I did not know I needed: the emotional roller coaster of collectible hunting as an adult.
There is a very specific mix of adrenaline and tiny heartbreak that hits when you realize you arrived just a little too late and someone else already grabbed the last piece. There is an equally strong surge of victory when you spot one of the hidden prints quietly waiting on a shelf and get to claim it.
If you have never seen two adults speed walk into a toy store, trying to look casual while silently hoping they beat every other grown up and every six year old to the last limited edition figure, you are missing out on a very particular brand of comedy.
As funny as it was, it did something serious for us. It gave us a shared project that was not about logistics, responsibilities, or problem solving. It was just play, adventure, and a surprisingly effective relationship tune up.
Apprentices To The 3D Printing Wizard
The scavenger hunt was just Level One.
Eventually, those experiences led to a full on date night at Bumpa Built itself. Adam, who at this point might as well be the neighborhood 3D printing wizard, welcomed us into the workshop and walked us through the basics of how to design and print our own game pieces.
Out of that evening came Bonsai Balance, our own Topple adjacent balancing game. Imagine a pile of strange shapes that stack in ways that do not seem physically possible, and then imagine both players trying to outsmart each other and gravity at the same time.
Bonsai Balance did something rare for us. It made us competitive, cooperative, quiet, focused, mischievous, meditative, and chaotic, all in the span of a single game. It has absorbed hours of our evenings and become one of our favorite ways to turn the volume down in our brains while still feeling connected and engaged.
It is a relationship workout disguised as a tabletop game.
The Hidden Ledger: What We Actually Invested In
When I step back and look at the whole experience through the lens of Health401k®, this one “just for fun” decision created a multi level investment across several dimensions of health.
- environmental and social: We explored new businesses, new streets, and new micro communities. We met owners, staff, and fellow hunters. Our mental map of “home” expanded, and with it, our sense of belonging.
- emotional: We felt the tiny sting of missing out when a piece was gone, the rush of victory when we found one, the nostalgia of standing in toy stores like Time Machine Hobby, and the simple joy of being on the same team.
- intellectual: Learning the basics of 3D printing, even at an introductory level, was incredibly stimulating. Seeing an idea move from conversation to design to something we could actually hold in our hands woke up a different part of our brains.
- occupational: Watching Adam and Jackie blend creativity, play, teaching, and entrepreneurship was energizing. It made us think differently about how we might design our own work in ways that feel more aligned and alive.
You could absolutely argue that there was a spark of the spiritual dimension in there too. There is something quietly profound about spaces that remind kids and adults alike that they are allowed to imagine, to build, and to play, without needing a reason beyond “this lights me up.”
Health Is Context, Not Just Checklists
The benefits of this one scavenger hunt keep unfolding, but the core lesson for me is simple:
An investment in health is all about context and how we personally define health.
For me, the top of my decision tree looks like this:
- Protect my health.
- Protect Adria’s health.
- Protect the health of our relationship.
Everything else is strategy. The choices, experiences, and investments that flow from that are not right or wrong. As Simon Sinek might say, “They are my why”. They are how I decide what goes into my personal version of Health401k®.
Seen through that lens, a community scavenger hunt, a 3D print shop, and a homemade balancing game are not frivolous. They are targeted deposits into multiple dimensions of well being, grounded in connection, curiosity, and shared play.
Local Business Spotlight
Part of what excites me about these experiences is how much they highlight the role of small, local environments in our health story. Two in particular deserve a shout out:
- Bumpa Built (Somers, CT) – a 3D printing studio turned community creativity hub, offering toys, fidgets, workshops, birthday parties, and STEM programs for kids and adults.
- Time Machine Hobby (Manchester, CT) – a multi level toy and hobby store filled with classic toys, models, and a famous train layout that makes you feel like a kid again the minute you walk in.
They are more than shops. They are environments where people gather, explore, laugh, and quietly invest in their social, emotional, and intellectual health without ever labeling it as “health.”
Thank You, Bumpa Built
Thank you, Bumpa Built, for the toys, the scavenger maps, and the Bonsai Balance pieces that occasionally explode across our table.
More than that, thank you for the laughter, the shared missions, the new local adventures, the inspiration, and the reminder that some of the most powerful health investments start with a very simple invitation:
“Do you want to go on a little adventure together?”
Ryan Travis Woods