young makers

Why Educators Love Maker Faire 2013

Teachers love Maker Faire because they see how much it means to engage their students as makers. For Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to salute educators who bring the Maker movement to kids in schools and in after-school programs. We believe making has the power to transform education and develop the potential of every child to create and innovate. Getting making into schools can be difficult so we’re particularly happy to applaud the efforts of pioneering educators who are leading the way. It’s important that these pioneers realize that they’re not alone.

Continue Reading May 9th, 2013November 3rd, 2015 Michelle "Binka" Hlubinka

Maker Faire as Learning Lab

We’re delighted to announce a new addition to this year’s Maker Faire educational offerings: a Class Pack filled with behind-the-scenes information and activity sheets designed just for you: teachers and parents who look forward to Maker Faire as your favorite learning-packed weekend of the year! Whether or not you are coming to our sold out Education Day on Thursday, May 16, take a peek for materials that you might want to use in your classroom. We’d like to share some of the special treats you’ll find in this 38-page bookl

Continue Reading May 8th, 2013 Michelle "Binka" Hlubinka4

Students Build Robot Locker Door for Physically Disabled Peer

This is a story of two Michigan high school students putting their robotics expertise to great use. Wyatt Smrcka and Micah Stuhldreher of Pinckney Community High School, who took first place in the 2012 SkillsUSA robotics competition, were tapped with task of building a robotic locker door for fellow student Nick Torrance who suffers from muscular dystrophy.

Continue Reading May 8th, 2013 Nick Normal

Maker Scouts: Tell Stories

For young makers, making is more than learning how to use a particular tool or a technique. It’s experiencing the power of a material, technology, or tool as a language of self expression. It’s PLAYING with different languages and experiencing the magic of connections that is made when what you have made makes someone laugh, cry, or wonder.

Continue Reading May 3rd, 2013 Jeankanekotest

New Make: SpinBot Kit in the Maker Shed

Looking for a simple yet fun kit to get youngsters into making? Check out the Make: SpinBot Kit from the Maker Shed. This kit lets them create a simple, vibrating “robot” that makes unique works of art.

Continue Reading April 17th, 2013 Maker Shed

Last 2013 Events for Bay Area Young Makers

Over the next two weekends we have the final set of events in our series of regional Young Maker/Open Makes in the San Francisco Bay Area leading up to Maker Faire Bay Area. At last, this month the two public events are on different Saturdays, so you can go to both! Each event offers a range of activities that starts at 10am and ends with an inspiring “meet-the-makers” panel discussion.

Continue Reading April 11th, 2013 Michelle "Binka" Hlubinka

Kid Makers Need Space

Makerspaces are becoming more and more popular. If you are not familiar, a makerspace or hackerspace is a place for people to gather and make stuff. Each is pretty much unique, but they all share a sense of community and a joy for making things and sharing knowledge. However, even if you are lucky enough to live close to one, it may not be particularly kid-friendly. So, where should you take your young makers when they want a place to turn their ideas into reality with their own hands?

That’s an excellent question. So I did some research and here are five great places you can go with you kids to make things.

Continue Reading March 29th, 2013 Andrew Terranova30