Hands on design tools

Hello all,

I am a Manufacturing Engineer. I am new to my position (2.5 months) and I am having some trouble with brainstorming on a few ideas. I have always been a very kinesthetic thinker and learner and I need to be able to "do" what I'm thinking in order to make sense of it all. I am looking for a set of design tools (think of a physics set for kids) that I can use to build miniature versions of projects that I am working on WHILE I am working on them. Being in manufacturing and working for a very large company (15 global plants and upwards of 500 roll mills, weld cells, laser/plasma cutting machines, etc.) I am responsible for a very large number of different operations and need something that will allow a lot of versatility when designing the miniatures. Does anyone have any information on a set like this that I could purchase? Or have an alternative that may have worked for them in the past?

Thank you all for your help.