I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/gimbal-mounted_kids_snack_bowl.html
This product by Löopa is called the "gyro-bowl," in spite of the fact that, since it does not exploit conservation of angular momentum, there's really nothing "gyroscopic" about it. I haven't purchased, used, been given, been paid to endorse, or otherwise had any first-hand experience of this product, but the idea is certainly clever.
[Thanks, Billy Baque!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Kids | Digg this!February 27 2010, 9:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/wear_it_well_young_makers_227.html
Join the MAKE team along with Pixar and TechShop for the Young Makers program Saturday (2/27) from 11am to 3pm at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA.
Our "Meet the Makers" session will begin at 11 am in the McBean Theatre. Our goal is to explore the work of a variety of makers and gain insight into the maker mindset. I will ask some questions, but we hope kids will have their own questions to ask these makers. This program will feature smart fabrics, soft circuits, and wearables. We'll see examples of how electronics is literally being woven into clothing and increasingly incorporated into the world of fashion.
Our featured makers are:
Adrian Freed
Adrian Freed is Research Director of the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT) program at Berkeley. He uses smart materials to teach electronics to kids. He will also talk about how conductive fabrics can enable new ways of making music.
(For more, see Adrian Freed's web page)
Grace Kim
A graduate of the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU, Grace Kim will talk about construction techniques in wearable technology (as in the garment shown above). Her work has been displayed at the Future Fashion Event, at Viaggio Telecom in Pisa, Italy, and the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (GAFFTA) in San Francisco. (For more, see Grace Kim's NYU Thesis Project)
Daniela Rosner
A Ph.D student at the I-School at Berkeley, Daniela will talk about recent developments of the Spyn project, which now uses a Nexus One mobile phone to capture the stories people associate with handmade objects. Her work was featured in this article [PDF] from CRAFT magazine. (For more, see Daniela Rosner and Spyn Project).
In the Open MAKE session that follows from 12-3pm, we'll have several hands-on activities on the Exploratorium floor demonstrating "soft" circuits and working with conductive fabric and thread. (We think that these activities are geared toward ages 12 and above but younger kids can participate but might need some additional support from parents.)
Gather your kids and their friends and join us at the Exploratorium this Saturday.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Kids | Digg this!February 25 2010, 10:28am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/open_make_night_at_the_exploratoriu.html
Michelle Hlubinka, MAKE's Education Director, sent us this announcement about the upcoming Open MAKE Night at the SF Exploratorium:
As part of our ongoing quest to encourage more young people to exercise their innate curiosity and creativity by making things, this Saturday, January 30th, we're kicking off a four-month collaboration with the Exploratorium's Learning Studio, TechShop, and Disney-Pixar.Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Kids | Digg this!
Our calendar of upcoming themes and makers at the Exploratorium:
January 30th: Bristlebots & Blinkybugs -- Ken Murphy and Windell Oskay & Lenore Edman
February 27th: Wearables & Soft Circuitry -- Adrian Freed
March 27th: Make Your Own Kind of Music -- Walter Kitundu and Krys Bobrowski
April 24th: Motors & Mechanisms -- Brad Prether and Ernie Fosselius
Each Saturday we meet follows a simple schedule:11:00 Dale Dougherty interviews makers in the McBean Theatre
12:30 Featured makers and hands-on making on the museum floor
3:00 Events endIt's a first experiment in a new program we call Young Makers, in which we intend to create an infrastructure to nurture kids who want to learn by making, beyond what they can do with construction kits. We hope to fulfill a dire need: satisfying a little bit of what shop classes used to do before they, lamentably, started getting booted out of schools. The idea behind Young Makers is to create a community, both on-line and physical, that brings together like-minded kids, adult mentors, and fabrication facilities -- those who love to build and to learn by making. The role of the mentors is to help young people find a project vision if they don't already have one, and then to help them realize that vision. Along the way mentors will expose the underlying math, science, and engineering principles behind the projects, teach tool usage and safety, and collectively all participants -- youth and mentors alike -- will create a collaborative culture of innovation and experimentation. The Maker Faire becomes the deadline, and offers a stage for the resulting projects to be exhibited and explained. Monthly meetings will be used to build the kind of collaborative culture we feel is crucial to the program. Namely, a culture that embraces failure, encourages cross-disciplinary projects that meld math, science, technology, and art, and a culture that is both open-ended and open-minded.
We feel the Young Makers program distinguishes itself in several ways from other programs such as robotics competitions and science fairs. In particular, there are no winners and losers, and the projects are open-ended and child driven. Moreover, there are very few boundaries -- just like the Maker Faire, anything that is cool is fair game.
(Thanks to Tony DeRose of Pixar for the writeup about the program, from which I've borrowed liberally.)
January 27 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/a_breadboard_for_your_groaning_boar.html
The folks at Sparkle Labs have put up a cute project on their site. It's a simple LED circuit on a breadboard (built with their Discover Electronics Kit), with some Turkey papercraft attached, to create a Thanksgiving table decoration. This is a great way to get your kids involved in a basic electronics project that becomes part of the holiday festivities (er... for those of you in the States).
Thanksgiving LED Turkey centerpiece project
November 24 2009, 5:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/cardboard_tube_battle.html
My local library picked up on the festive trend of Cardboard Tube Fighting. The Boston Globe covered the preparations:
The group discovered cardboard tube fighting last summer in time to incorporate a bit of it into a presentation on Greek mythology at a reading program party.
The weapons are cylindrical pieces of thick cardboard about 4 feet long. The appeal, explains young-adult librarian Ellen Snoeyenbos: "It's totally ridiculous.''As word of mock combat with reliably harmless weaponry spread among the town's youthful warriors, Snoeyenbos and the Bookmarks seized on the fund-raiser as a chance to exploit their discovery of the fighting fad made popular by YouTube.
Saturday's event will feature one-on-one tournaments, guild-on-guild skirmishes (up to 10 fighters per team), "and an all-out battle for possession of the Royal Crown,'' according to the club.
They've gathered hundreds of tubes, and youth of all ages are uparmoring in a pulpy way.
More:
Cardboard Tube Fighting League
November 20 2009, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/letters_we_get_letters.html
Mark Frauenfelder and Dan Woods got sent this letter about the latest issue of MAKE, Volume 20. We got the sender's permission to post it here:
Mark and Dan,
This is Jim Kelly, the freelance tech writer in Atlanta. Hope you guys are doing well.Just wanted to write and tell you how impressed and inspired I am with issue 20 of MAKE magazine. The interview (and foreword) with Adam Savage was extremely fun to read. As a father of a 2.5 year old, I too am anxious to encourage my son to explore, take apart, design, and enjoy the creative process.
Issue 20 was directed at kids, and I think you hit the bullseye, with force behind it. I hope this issue is one of your bestselling ones, and I for one am encouraging parents I know to pick up a copy. I'm also purchasing a few extra copies for some teachers I know.
My son just got done watching me configure my new CNC machine to mill out some fun designs on wood; his eyes could not have opened any wider. I wish all kids could have access to this level of technology and machinery, but unfortunately, our school systems seem to be cutting shop class and art projects and focusing time and money on standardized test-taking skills... how unfortunate.
To bring this all home, I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is such a demand for material/content that encourages our youth that a void has been created and cannot be filled fast enough. MAKE is in a unique spot to develop something that goes a little beyond the Maker Shed and the quarterly magazine. Maybe it's a subscription-based activity website, with monthly special projects broken down into categories such as "Do It Yourself" (no parents required), "Dad and Me" (or "Mom and Me" - projects with the parents), and more. Maybe it's a special magazine (like your Halloween special issue) that focuses on even more kid-friendly content. Or maybe a mixture of projects and inspirational interviews (Dean Kamen comes to mind) in a book format.
I'll wrap this up by saying that I, Jim Kelly, hate the three month wait between issues of MAKE... I read every issue over and over again. I'm starved for this type of content. And I'm an adult - imagine what those kids who have this creative streak inside them must feel? They're in need of something... not sure what... and maybe you guys can figure out what to offer them. Issue 20 could easily be just the tip of the iceberg.
Take care,
Jim Kelly
Thanks for your thoughts and kind words, Jim. Reaching the educational market, be it home-schooling parents or teachers in grade school and college, is an increasing focus of ours. We see the new Make: Science Room as part of that effort. We also have the Make: Education social network to reach out to educators and and to create a place where they can network with each other. We've also been working on a dynamic new project-based program of making and mentoring designed to raise the next generation of makers. We're developing this with some very innovative, high-profile partners and are very excited about the prospects. Stay tuned -- we'll be making an announcement about this in the next few months and looking for some kids to participate in a pilot program.
We'd also like to point out that there is something to tide maker parents, kids, and educators over between issues of the magazine: this website, Make: Online! Over the past year, we've been adding much more original content, regular columns, weekly projects, guest authors, and special programs. And then there are our regular Weekend Project podcasts, and special videos, like Collin Cunningham's MAKE Presents series, and Marc de Vinck's how-to and kit build videos. There's a lot going on here, so we hope you're getting your daily dose of MAKE from us. If there's anything else you'd like to see us do here to satisfy your MAKE fix, please let us know. We're always looking for ways to expand and improve the site.
From the pages of MAKE:
Want to know how to build a hydrogen rocket? How about a laser light show in a lunchbox? Or a simple remote-controlled videocam car? Or maybe you want to go old-school and build a wooden mini sailboat or toy car launcher? All this and tons more, plus revealing photos of Adam Savage's maker childhood, can all be found in MAKE, Volume 20, "For Kids of All Ages." Get your individual copy in the Maker Shed, or subscribe now.
November 5 2009, 5:31pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/halloween_howtoons.html
Nice collection for the kiddos...
Happy Halloween! October 31st is one of the best days of the year. Not only do you get to devour candy all day, you also get to be anything while doing it!!! Forget about the thrills and chills, there is no trickery here. This year we are setting out to get you as much candy as possible, so check out these sweet costumesRead more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Kids | Digg this!
October 29 2009, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/fake_camera_trend_takes_over_elemen.html
This fascinating piece, from This American Life (animated by Chris Ware), tells the story of an elementary school where a couple of kids made a TV camera out of cardboard and tempera paint. Soon, the cardboard camera craze went viral and it seemed like every kid was either a camera operator, an anchor, or some other faux TV production person. Then things went positively post-modern.
Chris Ware animation of This American Life story
October 27 2009, 9:00pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-play-Conkers/
The conker The "conker" is the fruit of the horse-chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum). Not actually a chestnut (conkers are, in fact, slightly toxic), it has been an important commercial tree, with uses as broad as raw materials for explosives to providing deep shade to keep beer-gardens coo...October 25 2009, 9:18am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/drill-powered_fort_speakers.html
MAKE subscriber John Kelbley was doing some expansion/improvements on his kids' "fort" and wanted to deliver music to the (unpowered) space. His solution was to use the rechargeable powerpack from an an old 12 volt Ryobi drill and use the drill body as a stand for two outdoor speakers he found on clearance. Amplification is provided by a Sonic Impact T-Amp he cased inside the gutted drill body. Love the volume control where the drill chuck used to be.
The Best Sounding Drill I've Ever Owned!
October 23 2009, 12:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/mit-rethinking-popup-books/
We know the folks at MIT are the cutting edge scientists of tomorrow right? We’re always impressed by the stuff coming out of their labs. Well, almost always. This rethinking of pop-up books does not let us down. We’ve seen some pretty complicated pop-up books. Some that made us really wonder how they pulled it off. But all of those were simply paper and card stock. At MIT, they’re wondering how we can improve the interactive experience now that the electronic components are so cheap and easily available. Even if you don’t have kids, or have no interest in pop-up books, consider this some inspiration for things like packaging and art. This looks fantastic and we know we would enjoy it. Then again, a few flashing LEDs always pique our interest.
[via Gizmodo]
October 20 2009, 11:00am | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Pirates-treasure-chest/
Treasure chests in the pirate style with the rounded lid look a little tricky to make. They're not - here's how to make one out of old wood you may have lying around, and you only need one measurement. Here it is: 10 degrees. Right, you're ready to go!I made the chest from some left over wood from o...October 18 2009, 6:52pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/boy_floats_away_in_homemade_ufo.html
A 6-year-old boy is floating over northeastern Colorado in a homebuilt lighter-than-air craft and authorities are racing to try and rescue him. The homemade flying saucer , covered in foil and filled with helium, lifted the boy into the air near Fort Collins Thursday morning after the balloon became untethered at the family home. Fort Collins police and other authorities have been alerted and Airtracker 7 has launched in an effort to locate the boy. We're told the boy was near Milliken around noon and was heading southeast at about 7,000 feet, which would be about 2,000 feet above ground level. Skies in the area are partly cloudy and southwest wind speeds are 15 to 20 miles per hour. "It is believed the device could rise to 10,000 feet," said Eloise Campanella, Larimer County Sheriff's Officer spokeswoman. Deputies from Larimer and Weld counties are tracking the balloon as it drifts.....and it's over. The kid was hiding in the attic.
October 15 2009, 2:40pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Owl-From-Recycled-Sweaters/
Who...Who....an owl from old sweaters, that's WHO! Materials &
Pattern You will need: pins, scissors, sewing machine, felt, 2 - 3 old
sweaters, old flat pillows, paper for pattern, pen, needle,
thread.Using an old grocery bag, I cut out the shape of an owl. To get
the shape even, fold the ...October 11 2009, 9:09am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/playgrounds_from_the_70s.html
Wow, I didn't really want to believe this, but playgrounds really did look a lot different in the 70s. Dangerous, metal... fun. Post your memories up in the comments!
October 7 2009, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Battling-Tops/
September 19 2009, 6:47pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Baby-Dragon-Cape/
How to make a cute lined baby dragon cape for your favourite child. This Dragon cape was made for my daughter's best friend, for her 4th birthday. It went over really well, particularly with the cold snap we had.September 13 2009, 6:40pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Childrens-Hospital-Gown/
This gown is so simple to make, and the possibilities are unlimited: camouflage, princess, bling, sports, trains, Elmo, Christmas, Easter, etc. A child in the hospital is an awful thing, so anything you can do to make them feel better is worth doing. September 13 2009, 5:09pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Super-Cool-Chair-Tent/
The chair tent is the cornerstone of every child's architectural knowledge base. The old fashion version usually consisted of 4 or more chairs with 1 or more blankets tossed over the backs of the chairs. This resulted in a saggy topped tent with open spaces everywhere that collapsed the third time...September 13 2009, 2:59pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Happy-Can-People/
We needed cute decorations for a Cub Scout/ Boy Scout Banquet. The theme was "We Are all Different, but the Same," so we wanted something to represent the diversity of scouting. After bending a soda can one day, I decided it resembled a face with a large mouth. I decided that these cans wo...September 12 2009, 1:11pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Handkerchief-Skirt-w-Roll-Down-Waistband-from-han/
This instructable will show you how to make a handkerchief skirt, by cutting panels, and a bit of math. It will also show you how to make a "yoga-style" roll down waistband that could be put on any skirt or bottom.September 11 2009, 7:59pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-A-Tooth-Fairy-Pillow/
A tooth fairy pillow that hangs on your child's door knob is much easier for the tooth fairy to access than a tiny tooth hiding under a pillow. Follow these simple steps to make your own tooth fairy pillow. A great gift to make for (or with) a loose-toothed child in your life! This is a great gift (...September 11 2009, 4:55pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Thingamaplush-Robot/
Inspired by Bleep Labs' Thingamakit and Thingamagoop synthesizer noise maker creations, I set about making a plush version for my two-year-old daughter. My goal was to create something that was safer and easier to use for her, while remaining just as fun and quirky as the original Thingama' synths....September 6 2009, 10:17pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Magic-Stick-Trick/
This is a classic magic trick. It's very simple and very effective. I'll show you how to perform the trick, and show you how to make your own. Have fun! September 6 2009, 12:26am | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sew-a-Where-the-Wild-Things-Are-hat-pattern/
Are you guys excited for the movie? I'm geeking out over here. I'm totally wearing this opening night. September 4 2009, 6:27pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-table-tent/
Kids love making forts and tents. The simplest one would be a blanket or sheet thrown over a table. However if you still want to be able to use the table, this instructible will show you a simple way to create a tent for your child that reduces the risk of everything on top of the table being pull...August 27 2009, 11:13pm | More »
I posted to blog.craftzine.com
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/08/kids_chopstick_holders.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
Rachel from La Fuji Mama takes a visit to Zakka life and shows your kids how they can fold up and make these decorated chopstick holders.
August 23 2009, 9:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.craftzine.com
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/08/how-to_kids_art_apron_from_a_d.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
I love this fun kids' art apron, complete with individual crayon pockets, from Obsessively Stitching. That it's made from a simple dishtowel makes it even better!
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]August 22 2009, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Fringe-Fleece-Hat/
A kid friendly fleece hat.August 16 2009, 12:53pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Tooth-Monster-Pillows/
When my son lost his first tooth we didn't have a tooth pillow ready, so when his second tooth started getting loose we collaborated on a one-of-a-kind Tooth Monster. I suggested a tooth-shaped pillow and my son decided it should look like a hungry monster who craves little kid teeth. August 16 2009, 1:24am | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-an-Ikura-Sushi-Birthday-Cake/
This fun party cake was made with regular Funfetti cake mix and a few cheap and easy household ingredients. The prep time is minimal, and the results are sure to elicit lots of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from your party guests!August 13 2009, 11:59pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Back-to-School-Headband/
This is how to make a nice headband for back to school. I'm ten and it makes a good project August 13 2009, 3:31pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lettered-Beanbags/
These lettered beanbags are so easy to make. You can make enough beanbags for the entire alphabet or just specific words or names. This would make a great gift for a baby shower or child#25;s birthday! It can also be used for nursery or home decor if you set them on a shelf or table! My daughter and...August 11 2009, 2:11am | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Sock-ta-pus/
I'm a big fan of octopi, squid, and other tentacled creatures, and I don't know how anyone wouldn't be. Using a pair of socks, some stuffing, and a needle and thread, you can create this nifty stuffed version that's perfect for kids or any other cephalopod-loving folk.August 10 2009, 8:47am | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Soft-doodles/
Turn a drawing into a quick sewing project for children!August 9 2009, 2:50pm | More »
I posted to blog.craftzine.com
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/08/back-to-school_schultte.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
Marie at AlphaMom shows you how to make your own back-to-school schultütte -- the German tradition of sending your first-grader to school with giant cone filled with school supplies and goodies.
August 8 2009, 9:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.craftzine.com
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/08/clay_printmaking.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
This looks like a fun and easy art project to do with kids, making prints using clay and objects with cool shapes. Check out the process photos over at Skinny laMinx!
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]August 7 2009, 1:30pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Fashion-Doll-quotDressyquot-Dress/
Does your fashion doll have somewhere special to go but nothing dressy to wear? Well, we have the solution to her problem. This dress is so easy to make a child can do it, but it is dressy enough to wear to a movie premier or the ballet. August 6 2009, 6:50pm | More »
I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Finger-puppets-for-all-reasons/
A quick and easy kid project is to knit and sew finger puppets. It is very simple - even an adult can do it! My niece in England asked me for finger puppets so I devised this very basic pattern. If you can knit garter and stockinette stitch reasonably well, it will be a doddle! This would be...August 5 2009, 9:56am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/cardboard_tube_fighting_league.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Coilhouse has a fun piece on the recent Cardboard Tube Fighting League tournament in SF.
Carboard Dueling: Through A Series of Tubes
August 1 2009, 9:00pm | More »
