For those who attended Maker Faire Bay Area this year, surely one of the most memorable pieces was El Pulpo Mecanico, the 25-foot-tall mechanical octopus that shoots fire out the ends of its tentacles. This was certainly the case for 6-year-old Evan, who drew El Pulpo in his kindergarten class for a weekly assignment where he describes what he did over the weekend.
Evan’s dad says, “My 6-year old son has been bringing home various projects and artwork from his kindergarten class now that school is winding down. I was going through a booklet of reports he made about his weekends throughout the school year and I came across this one from our trip to the Maker Faire. I couldn’t stop laughing.”
For those not fluent in kindergarten, the caption reads, “I saw a humongous octopus and it shot flames out of the tentacles. It was cray-cray [crazy].” The thought bubble says “wow.”
Evan’s dad adds:
I think it’s safe to say that you guys blew his mind this year. Also, I’m more than little proud that he included the propane tank in the drawing. It shows that it wasn’t just a magic, flame-shooting sculpture — his curiosity actually led him to figure out what made the thing work. That, to me, is the essence of Maker Faire’s appeal — that balance between spectacle and insight.
Needless to say we’ll be back next year.
Has your child drawn a project or person from a Maker Faire? I’d love to see it! Drop me a line at lcochrane@makezine.com.
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