Maker Kids - DIY

First of all, Happy Spring Break Eve!  It's hard to believe it is already nearly the end of March, but like many of you I am looking forward to two weeks of rest and rejuvenation.  A few weeks ago a friend introduced me to a great online resource through Facebook, DIY.org, I thought some of you might be interested in exploring with your own children over the break.

I know what you're thinking, "DIY? I'm not working on painting my house or ripping up kitchen counters."  However DIY.org is very different than diynetwork.com.  DIY is an online club where children earn skills by learning how to build things from kites to clubs and stop-motion videos.  Children try out different challenges and then upload images or videos of their artifacts and earn badges they can display on their online portfolio.  A part of the maker movement the whole idea behind DIY is that "anyone can learn anything just by trying."  It is a great resource for helping students develop their artistic creativity and innate engineering skills through play and challenges.

Last week DIY posted a series of videos called Meet the Makers where children share their own stories for using the site.  Naturally, the kids are the best storytellers for using the site, so check them out.

Joe