Tag: games

Classroom Project, Education, Home Makerspace, Maker Eduation, Maker Project, Making a Makerspace, This Week In the Classroom, Tool ReviewLeave a comment

This Week in the Classroom: The FunKey Super #MakerED #STEM Review

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This fall I have introduced a new tech platform into my practice.  The FunKey  unlocks tons of potential in a classroom.

Do you want a board that reads keystrokes and plays like a MakeyMakey but with at a size and price point for a real classroom?

FunKey does that.

Do you now need a board which takes different sensory inputs and outputs as light, sound or motion?

FunKey does that.

Do you need a board which can help you teach programming?

FunKey does that.

Want a kit that comes with a variety of sensors, so quick and easy to hook up, students can create medical devices in a class period?

FunKey does that.DSC_7606

What doesn’t it do?

Teach.  But that’s what teachers are for.

Let’s set up a few projects with a basic kit and see how we can put it to work in the Maker  classroom!

 

In full disclosure, I received a pair of FunKey Super boards in return for a blog review, but all opinions are my own.  Innovations, on the other hand, those belong to my students.

Continue reading “This Week in the Classroom: The FunKey Super #MakerED #STEM Review”

Classroom Project, Education, Home Makerspace, Maker Project, Small Projects, WoodworkingLeave a comment

Home #Makerspace: A DIY Carrom or Marbles Game Board!

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This week, we built a game board which you can customize to play marbles, skittles, carrom, billiards, pool, shuffleboard, crokinole and more!

My game board features two games, marbles and carrom.  Marbles has been played for thousands of years in various forms.  Carrom is a “strike and pocket” game that evolved in East India.  Both games provide hours of entertainment for young kids during rainy days and family game nights.  Carrom Company of Ludington, MI has a 100-in-1 version of this board that many, many grown kids remember.

This game board uses vinyl stickers for decoration, 45 degree miters reinforced with pin nails and grooves.  This construction technique can be used to make large playing surfaces.  I used the same technique to make The DIY Knock Hockey project a few weeks ago, and it will show up in next week’s project.

Continue reading “Home #Makerspace: A DIY Carrom or Marbles Game Board!”

Home Makerspace, Outdoor Projects, Woodworking, Woodworking1 Comment

Home #Makerspace: DIY Street Hockey Sticks

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It’s winter here in Northern Virginia and my sons discovered a strange and wondrous sport of the North:

hockey-sticks

Hockey!

To help them become familiar with the game, we’ve watched a few movies, plan on attending a game or two and we built a pair of matching shafts to fit a pair of hockey blades.

This is a quick technique to build a shaft with minimal tools.  Shafts built with this technique can be used in tool handles, lacrosse sticks, shovels, poles, furniture, etc.

Continue reading “Home #Makerspace: DIY Street Hockey Sticks”

Classroom Project, Home Makerspace, Maker Eduation, Maker Project, Small Projects, Techniques, Woodworking, WoodworkingLeave a comment

Home #Makerspace: Simple Kid’s Game Boards for Young Makers #Woodworking

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This week, we made a quick foldable checkerboard inspired by my youngest child’s love of the game. This basic folding design can expanded and modified to play any board game. Just let your imagination run wild!

This project incorporates measuring, marking boards square, using a hand drill and hand saw, and an all natural, no-fuss stain (although it is stinky!). Super quick, super cheap and super easy for young makers between K – 3rd grade. Continue reading Home #Makerspace: Simple Kid’s Game Boards for Young Makers #Woodworking

Education, Outdoor & EnvironmentalLeave a comment

My Type of Playground

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Irresistible Ideas for play based learning » Blog Archive » the venny-kensington adventure playground. ::: the venny-kensington adventure playground “The Venny” is one of only 5 staffed Adventure Playgrounds of its kind in Australia. It’s a free community backyard designed for children aged five to 16 years old from the Kensington public housing estate and surrounding areas. When I grow up to be a real adult…I’m building my sons (and the students around me) this playground. Make it safe & keep the rubberside down. Continue reading My Type of Playground