Let the Children Make

One of the most important things we can build as makers is… more makers! Whether you work with children, are a parent yourself, or just have friends or family with children, you are in a unique position to be a positive influence in their lives.

How do we encourage children to embrace the maker within themselves? For parents, it’s at once easier and more difficult than you might think. Would you let your child do all the crazy things you did as a kid? You did those things and you turned out alright, didn’t you? It’s strange to be on the other side of that relationship, concerned with your kid’s safety while simultaneously not wanting to squelch their native curiosity and sense of adventure.

AnnMarie Thomas is a maker, a mom, and an engineering professor at the University of St. Thomas. Her presentation on the Make: Live stage at Maker Faire New York 2013 talks about children as makers, and looks at how today’s makers behaved when they were children.