I’m working on a mini maker day for kids later this summer and am looking for feedback and suggestions.

Some unique considerations for this event are: 1) there will be no computers, 2) there will be a wide span of ages from 4-teens, and 3) we have no budget for materials. (Well, that last one isn’t that unique. :)

Here’s what I have so far:

Welcome and Introductions
Make your name tag
Make photos * Bring your own camera or use one of ours! [We did this last year, losely modeled after DS106 daily creates, and everyone loved it!]
BREAK
Make a mask
Yoga for kids
LUNCH
Make jewelry
Make a snack
BREAK
Make a puppet
Cardboard challenge
Wrap-Up

I’m thinking of a fairly loose structure and varied material set for several of these so that kids of different ages can work on what works for them.

Any thoughts are most welcome! I’m looking forward to this.

Mini maker day for kids
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6 thoughts on “Mini maker day for kids

  • July 15, 2013 at 8:30 pm
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    Hi Karen, What a great day plan. Of course I’d stick in some string games–you can get ordinary twine for a couple of bucks, or yarn, enough for everyone to have one. There are plenty of places with instructions you could print out, or just play with what the kids already know and/or make up – tell stories with the strings!
    Another great Math Make is the Möbius strip – all it takes is strips of paper about 2 inches X 14 in. or so, one twist, then talk about what will happen if you cut it in half along the middle of the strip. Can be done collaboratively with mixed age groups.

    Have fun!

    Cheers, Fred

  • July 16, 2013 at 12:29 am
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    This is going to be a wonderful day. Would it be possible for one of the makes to be theme or concept related, but not necessarily specify what the product should be? Like, ‘make something ridiculous’, as an example. Great to avoid electronic technology, perhaps the day could be titled “Analog Day” or “Matter matters”. Just some weird ideas!

  • July 16, 2013 at 6:14 am
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    Great ideas, thanks. Fred, I’d thought about string art, but am not sure I have the confidence to pull it off. I’ll think about it more though.

    Bart, I like the theme idea.

  • July 16, 2013 at 7:42 am
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    I think you should have a YouTube parade at the end where everybody marches around to no place in particular wearing their makes or whatever.

  • July 16, 2013 at 9:01 am
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    Hey Bart– great suggestions: ‘perhaps the day could be titled “Analog Day” or “Matter matters”’ — back in the 60’s, when “cyberspace” did not refer to anything digital but rather to the mental cloud we all-too-briefly shared, the term for the contrasting embodied realm was “meatspace.”

    Thanks for prodding the memory.

    Cheers, Fred

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