Are we to abstract?

Patti Anklam, over at the Networks, Complexity and Relatedness blog, is talking about a very interesting experience using Lego etc., to help solve problems.

One of the nice things about using a place like the Royal Mail's Innovation Lab is the freedom it offers to make problems tangible. Patti's article is really challenging me to apply that type of thinking in everyday life. So, how might we spend more time thinking with our hands, particularly when confronting complex, abstract problems.