Summer Camps
Apex, NC by Jordan Lake
Everyone was eager to find what this week’s theme was going to be. One aspect of the week’s theme was about: “where did everyone want to go and what is his or her ultimate dream destination?” If they could go anywhere in the universe, real or not, where would they like to go? Oh, the possibilities were endless…the moon, Atlantis (the one underwater), the beach, Mexico, California, Boston. After some brainstorming, the group voted on designing and building a moon/Atlantis, also known as “Moon-lantis”, two-seater explorer vehicle. They also decided to build a vehicle built for speed, a dragster to race in a drag race.
Thinking of wheels, do you remember the Hungry Hippos board game? The team made a set of wheeling boards to play a life size version of Hungry Hippos. We discovered that the more balls the hippos have to eat, the hungrier they are because there is more to eat!
Once the wheels were attached to the vehicles, the team began to build and design the top of the vehicles, the seating, the steering, and the brakes. The team soon discovered that Tinkering camp is about sharing and collaborating. Everyone is full of ideas and creativity, and our projects can grow bigger and better if we share with one another. The explorer vehicle quickly acquired a set of seat belts while the drag car quickly acquired steering and brakes. Those working on different vehicles were able to learn from the other, and share trial and errors learned along the way.
Fall 2016 - Week 6
The first week of Tinkering camp was absolutely amazing! We spent Monday morning getting know one another. Don demonstrated using impact drivers, clamps, and the chop saw and how to use them safely. The kids went right to work practicing their skills by drilling their names into wood blocks.
The team lovingly renamed the guinea pigs and rabbits for the week. Their real names are Chestnut and Buttercup, but that’s beside the point. They were called Jack and Bob for that week. One camper taught the goats to not eat t-shirts, by speaking in a full Irish accent. And luck would have it, that one camper had an absolute love for pigs. It was pure delight when Muckley the pig escaped (into another fenced area), and it was absolute horror when a so-called “man-eating” snapping turtle was stuck in a fence near his pigpen. The adventures to be had in nature, on a farm, outside, in the woods, by a creek, or at the lake are many and magical!
As the team built up their vehicles, they made numerous test runs and tinkered numerous times. At the end of camp, the vehicles are taken apart so that the materials can be reused. Everyone learned to appreciate and value the amount of energy, time, and excitement that was put into the explorer and racer.
The team measured out their vehicle base and got to work. Measuring tape, a pencil, and paper are great friends in the midst of tinkering.
At Tinkering Camp, we always love our time in the great outdoors. The week started out rainy and wet, but prepared with rain boots and a raincoat, we headed outside to meet the farm animals.