This morning I attended the Makerbox: No Space Required program. The panel of presenters put together an outstanding handout of what is in their various Makerboxes–on topics like music, electronics and circuitry, engineering, 3D creating, and crafting–and I hope they’ll share it online. The handout wasn’t my greatest takeaway, however. My greatest takeaway was inspired by the failed marshmallow tower my team of fellow volunteers built.
The takeaway: time for open ended activities is integral for the maker mentality. There needs to be time for trial and error, for learning to use the materials, for adapting methods. With a few simple materials and a chunk of time, an engaging maker program is accessible for every library.