Down On The Farm
Today is definitely my favorite day of the Tinkering School calendar year. Today marks the official first day of Summer Day Camp! Each week for the next 10 weeks a different group of around 30 kids are going to come together to transform this empty space (and hopefully each other) by trying really hard in the face of adversity, treating each other really well and building a community through collaboration and collectively thinking about some tough problems.
On the first day of camp we take time to create group agreements that will help guide us toward these goals. We learn how to safely operate the basic and tools (clamps, drills and chop saw) that will govern the framework for how we will work together to create.
Tessa, Chase, Eli, and Jackson work together to hold and clamp a pice of scrap to a structure during clamp training.
Felix and Justin partner up and take turns drilling and driving screws into a frame they decide to create during drill training 2.0.
Ari follows collaborator Evan's advice on where to place your second hand when operating the drill. Beatrix prepars her driver bit to place the final touches on their window creation.
Galicia demonstrates proper form and focus when making a cut with the chop saw.
We clean before we break! Chase who finished putting away all his materials away demonstrates good shop etiquette and assists the entire shop by stacking and organizing scrap wood used during tool training.
We recess at park and establish how making time for play is a meaningful and important component of any project or working day.
Now to park. Time to climb..
.. and spin!
We take a cue from dinner tables around the world and share in food and thought together. Outside just makes it better!
We release our weekly projects and set aside ample time to think, design and share our ideas.
We return to the space and come up with some creative conclusions (in this case slithering styled snakes) on ways to come back together before releasing the projects for the week!
We meet Max! Director/Videographer extraordinaire who will be documenting real-time action and interviews for the blog all summer long! Check back often for his updates and releases.
Even as adults, we admit when we don't know. Then follow with, "What do you think?" Sarika ponders Amanda's prompt while Beckett and Seren look on. Josie, Lilly and Kyra focus on their designs for a chicken coup.
We take time to design, redesign and collaborate. Galicia, Pearl, Mellia, and Jackson contemplate a tractor design.
Then we move on to master plans. Incorporating as many elements of individual designs we can muster. Here were begin to stitch it all together for a barn.
At the end of the day we still find time to play in aftercare with drawing prompts and floor time fun!