The Exploratory After School Makeshops are customized for each school and age group. Unlike some other after school programs where something is finalized within the 1 hour time period, our Makeshops encourage the children to take their time exploring, tinkering, innovating. Projects are kept in a student specific bag until the final class. At the final class, the children are then given the opportunity to share their work, their struggles and their triumphs.
Topics include:
- Tinkering to make Jewelry – LCD bracelets, rings, necklaces, take apart electronics as materials
- Making Bling Bling Clothes – Conductive Thread used to make designs on T-shirts, skirts, sewing by hand, by sewing machine
- Hover Crafts
- Wind Powered Tinkering
- Robots
- Outer World Explorations
- Inventor’s Makeshop
Current Workshops: PS#1 Clubhouse
The Exploratory is currently conducting a Tinkering Workshop at PS#1, a private elementary school in Santa Monica, CA. This inquiry based exploration provides opportunities for children 5-10 to play with electrical circuits, paper sculptures with cams, gears and levers, wire automata, LCD’s, tops and other mechanics of toy and jewelry making.
This workshop provides children a fun introduction to technology, engineering, math, science and art while tinkering with toys, their most familiar items.
The workshop presents different areas of investigation to encourage each child to find the vehicle he or she is interest in so that deep meaningful learning can occur.
There are opportunities to make blingy jewelry with LCD’s and batteries, clothing with conductive thread and LCD’s, toys made of paper, wire and a safe, supportive environment to take apart familiar toys to MAKE new toys.