Next week my nephew will be home, while his brother and sister are at camp. What is a kid to do when he is not at camp? One alternative I learned about yesterday by clicking on a link on my Google search page is “Maker Camp” on Google+, a new project where kids can learn to do projects, take virtual visits and field trips, and share what they make with others. The whole “camp” is online and goes for six weeks. The project started at the Exploratorium, in San Francisco, who is working with Maker magazine and Google to create the online camp.
Here’s how it works: At the beginning of the week, there is a Google Hangout broadcast, where the theme for the week, and the weeks’ projects are demonstrated. For each of the days of camp, you can get the material list and directions for each project. You also can login to watch a live hour long Google+ hangout with an expert maker who demonstrate variations on the day’s project. If you do not want to work alone, you can look for a “Maker Camp Campsite,” which might be a library, or actual camp in your area where you can work on projects with others.
Right now I am logged in to the Google hangout for today and am watching Andrew Woodbridge and +Breck Baldwin of Brooklyn Aerodrome doing a demo of making several types of Folding Wing Gliders out of styrofoam trays from produce or packaged meat. There are over 400 people logged in to watch the broadcast, who are all watching the demo. I’m not working on making a glider today, but if I wanted to directions, pictures, and other “campers” pictures and demos I could find it all on the Maker Camp Google page.
The hangout that I am watching kicks off the project for the day. The theme for this week is transportation, and currently they are adjusting and testing a glider that they built.
The project goes from July 8th to Aug. 16th. Last year, about one million kids participated (not necessarily in the whole summer, though — you can do as much or as little as you like.) My nephew is a little too young for the camp this year, but I’m planning to see if he wants to pick out a project to try together during the camp.
Image Source:
plus.google.com/+MAKE/posts
Links:
www.youtube.com/user/makemagazine?feature=watch