Making pinball machines!

This project turned out so well! It was very gratifying because going into it I really was not sure what we would figure out to shoot the ball up to the top, or how to make the levers on the sides... basically there was a huge possibility that this project would be a total bust and wouldn't engage the kids at all. But these (Awesome) kids grabbed the (pin) ball and ran with it. Maze of Fury?? Best. Game name. EVER!!

Matt said, " I thought that these might be fun to make, but I didn't think they'd really be that fun to play... but they actually are." It was really true. And very challenging... you could lose 10 billion points if you touch the coil of electricity... you could fall into the sick pitt (no one wants that) or if you touch that tower of blocks there near the sick pitt your penalty is YOU CAN NEVER PLAY THIS GAME AGAIN! Oh the horror.

Tinkering Camp!

Ah! More beautiful photos of Tinkering Camp (ages 6-9) by Stephen Henderson. My gosh! I thought the art camp before this was the most fun I'd ever had, and then this tinkering camp came along. These were the sweetest kids ever... just looking back over these photos made my heart break because I miss them all so much! This camp was a very eye-opening experience for me. All these years I have been admiring Gever Tulley and aspiring to have a tinkering camp that could in any way match up to what he attempts and achieves with kids.... and I've been taking a stab at it, for sure, but not really having any idea how I would ever get to that level. This camp was my first taste that we could get there... really building bigger, more complicated and interesting things with kids, really taking on some mighty and exciting challenges... and it is an amazing thing to behold, as they take it all on with ease and elan. "Let us be amazed at what children can do, " as Gever says, in one of his TED talks, and I am.... each time more than the time before.

Art Camp wrap up

For our last day at art camp we created this kind of art opening/reception/museum kind of thing. I think it was a lot of fun and I was absolutely tickled by how kid-created most of it was, included several signs, a collaborative coloring book, and even a gift shop. Thanks to Stephen Henderson for the awesome photos.

And the winner of the copy of Make Stuff Together is....

Nancy from Panama! You'll never believe it, but she came all the way from Panama to pick up her copy... she really did!

Nancy came all the way from Panama City so that her two kids could attend my tinkering camp! Very flattering. Luck was with her and the random number generator chose her. A nice little bonus for braving Austin in the summer, and Make Stuff Together gets to go to Panama!

Hey! Someone made a movie about my school!

Untitled from Stephen Henderson on Vimeo.

Gee thanks, Stephen Henderson! I love it!

Art Camp out in the wild!

On Wednesday Art Camp took to the streets. I really wanted to find an experience for them where they could make some art that would be semi-permanent and for all the world to see. Thanks once again to the wonders of Facebook, (I put my question out into the universe with little hope that the wall I wanted for them would appear) Treasure City Thrift gladly offered up their bare, boring side wall to be lavishly splattered and painted upon by enthusiastic young children. Hooray, hooray! Thanks to Stephen Henderson for the beautiful photos.

Art Camp!