Mini Northside Maker Faire is today!

The Mini Maker Faire on Chicago's North side is today from 10am-4pm!  Yes, Cinco de Mayo is also synonymous with crazy technological fun!

If you've never been to Maker Faire before you are in for a treat.  

The Schurz High School at 3601 N. Milwaukee Avenue (Milwaukee and Addison) gets taken over by Makers- craftsmen, artists, engineers, scientists, and hobbyists that have been creating cool things all year, and here's your chance to see what they do, how they do it, and how you can do it. You can ask questions, try stuff out, poke, prod, and share tips.

We've been to the big one in NY a few times, and the one here (while obviously not as big in scope) is in someways better.  They don't have as many cool bells and whistles (Have I told you about the Giant Life Sized Game of MouseTrap?)  but BECAUSE the scale is smaller, you get more time to ask questions and look around.  And the people who are exhibiting have been waiting for this all year, and can't wait to share their passion and knowledge with you.

You can learn to make ice cream, fly a drone, learn to pick locks, check out the latest in 3-D printing, and see all kinds of cool hacks, old-school technology, and just plain weird fun stuff.  

It's STEM and STEAM on Steroids.

It's free to attend (although there is a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for kids to keep the thing going) 

To see a complete list of exhibitors, see here:  https://chicagonorthside.makerfaire.com/makers-2/makers-exhibits/

To find out more in general.  Visit their website: 

https://chicagonorthside.makerfaire.com/

See you at the Maker Faire!

Giant Word Winder at the Edgewater Public Library with David Hoyt

We met David Hoyt at last year's CHITAG , and he's a great guy.  And the game is fun AND educational.

This looks like a great event. And it's right in the neighborhood!  (We won't be there, because we are in camp that week, but you should definitely check it out.  It will be fun.)

GIANT Word Winder with David L. Hoyt

GIANT Word Winder with David L. Hoyt

Tuesday, August 9, 2016 (2:00PM – 3:00PM)

Edgewater

Description

Meet toy and game inventor David L. Hoyt, creator of daily Jumble puzzles found in newspapers across the world as well as puzzles in the Summer Learning Challenge Explorer's Guide. Learn about how he became an inventor and why he believes in the power of words, then learn to play one of David's inventions: GIANT Word Winder where you'll travel across a GIANT game board by building words.

This program is for children ages 10 - 12 years old.

Registration is required. Space is limited.
To register call the library.

Address: 6000 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660

Phone: (312) 742-1945

WEBSITE: http://dlhoyt.com/giant-word-winder/

BUY ON AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1NM9pXH

Library Website:  https://www.chipublib.org/locations/28/

BOOK REPORT: The Curious Kid's Science Book

Get this book on Amazon

I recently received a book for review called The Curious Kid's Science Book by Asia Citro, a former teacher turned mom blogger (her blog is Fun At Home With Kids )  The book features over 100 cool science activities for kids ages 4-8.  It's the type of book that I wish I had created.

The book is chockful of science and experiments, and questions to ask yourself about the experiments, and why things happened the way they did.  The experiments and science are all around interesting things like growing mold and fungus, or planting seeds and watching them grow day by day or how to raise a praying mantis, or how to protect an egg from a fall.

I want to be this parent.  I really do.  I am sad to say that I am more likely to be the parent that watches America Ninja Warrior with their kid and takes him out to pizza (which is something we do far more often than is probably healthy.)

Artwork by Tiffany Ard

The book has a great discussion of the scientific method, of how to design experiments, and MOST IMPORTANTLY how to interact with your kid while they are conducting the experiments.  It also talks about how to acquire the supplies necessary (many you already own)  Even if you were a science duffer in school, the book makes it easy to help your kid fall in love with science.

While the book says the activities are for ages 4-8, I really think that kids of any age would like them.  After about age 12, they may have already been exposed to most of this stuff, but the experiments and ideas behind the experiments are really good.

 There are also opportunities for you (and more importantly your kid) to design your own experiments.  Because, the point of this is not for you to learn to love science.  It's for your kid.  (But the truth is, you have to do it with them.  Otherwise, they just aren't going to do it!  Loving science doesn't just happen by magic.  Kids are sponges and parrots, and they model their behavior on yours.)

Below is a sample of just one of the experiments available in the book.  Click the image to make it larger.  There are 99 more just as good.

If you want your kid to like science, this is a great book to entice them to do so.  And if your kid already likes science, then you just got yourself a goldmine of cool activities! (and the first draft of a killer science fair project.)

So when your kid accepts that Nobel Prize years from now, they might be able to thank Asia Citro and her book (and hopefully you for working with them on it!)

PLEASE NOTE: This copyrighted excerpt is provided with explicit written permission from the publisher.  This excerpt may not be shared on any other sites without first obtaining permission from the publisher

Get this book on Amazon

Find out more about Asia Citro on her website Fun At Home With Kids