IEECE Brings STEAM Learning to the Palm Beach Mini Maker Faire
By Kat Lai
The IEECE was honored to be one of more than 60 Makers at the Palm Beach Mini Maker Faire, at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, on May 13, 2017.
Maker Faires began in 2006, in California, and have increased in popularity, spreading across the world ever since. Maker Faires are, “a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they do” (“Maker Faire A Bit of History,” 2017).
As part of the Building up STEAM initiative funded by PNC Grow Up Great, the IEECE has designed and made contraptions that help children investigate, explore, and discover science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) in playful, fun, exciting ways.
We use these in professional development courses for teachers and in STEAM Fairs at preschools. We were thrilled to bring them out to the community at the Maker Faire to share the ideas, the learning, and the fun with the many visitors, inventors, makers, and children who came to enjoy the day.
The Institute’s Maker Booth offered a few stations for children to investigate.
We had:
Make Your Own Xylophone
Children explored how changing the length and shape of a tube affected the sound it made when they banged on the opening with a flip flop.
Marvelous Maker Machine
Children thought about incredible inventions they would like to see in the world and then designed their invention by hanging buttons, knobs, pulleys, remote controls, and other objects on large box. Children had some great ideas like the “Laundry Folder”, the “Garbage Recycler”, the “Ocean Cleaner” and many more.
Spider Maze
Children strengthened their problem solving skills (and their core muscles) as they plotted a course and then climbed, wiggled, stretched, leaped, bent, and contorted to make their way through a maze of ropes – without touching the spider’s web!
Tinker Station
Children and adults explored a variety of found objects to create an array of inventions, creations, and pieces of art. They developed problem solving skills, patience, creativity, math concepts, and so much more all while having a blast!
One of the most wonderful things about tinkering is that it helps children discover that if something doesn’t exist in the world, the power is within them to invent it – if they can think it, they can make it.
We had an incredible time at the Maker Faire! It was a wonderful opportunity to investigate a host of STEAM activities and to see all the innovation and making that are occurring throughout Palm Beach County.
We were honored to participate in this incredible day of science, creativity, making, and fun. We can’t wait for next year!
Reference: Maker Faire A Bit of History. (2017). Retrieved May 18, 2017 from http://makerfaire.com/makerfairehistory/
