MAKEnight, December 6
MAKEnight is an event held after hours at the Museum where adults can visit the museum to make things and meet new people while enjoying some food by Bar Marco and drinks from Wigle Whiskey. We held our second MAKEnight on December 6, 2012 with a sold out crowd! If you missed it, then mark your calendars for the next one on February 7!…
FORTS
The weekend after Thanksgiving can be really, really busy at the Museum, so we decided to try something a little different with our visitors in MAKESHOP. The entire exhibit was cleared to make space for several forts. We split the exhibit space into four separate, specifically themed fort building areas. We also provided a walk way for visitors and…
Planning
The Museum can be a very busy place around the holidays. We generally try to have themed or special programming for our visitors to enjoy. The weekend after Thanksgiving, we decided to let the visitors build forts in MAKESHOP. The picture above is a good example of how we typically get ready for a weekend full of special programming in…
Family Fun
Ty and his sister spent a lot of time exploring animation. Actually, their entire family spent a lot of time exploring all of MAKESHOP. Their older brother was fascinated with the loom and spent most of his time weaving. Their siblings also had a blast exploring light painting. We experimented a lot with different light sources and different movement techniques….
Identity Fun: Superhero Costume Tutorials
With Halloween right around the corner, costumes are popping up in many stores, offering people of all ages the opportunity to take on a new identity, even if it’s just for one night. Rather than dress up for just one night, why not create an easy, DIY superhero costume that will allow you or your little ones to take on…
DIY Activity – Paint Chip Pixelization Tutorial
One of my favorite displays at last weekend’s Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire was the Paint Chip Pixelization. This project will show you how to take a traditional piece of art, like Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers… … into a modernized, pixelized version like this! Interested in making your own? Follow these easy instructions! 1) Download and Install GIMP! (Image editing software…
Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire Recap
This past weekend, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and HackPittsburgh hosted the second annual Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire, showcasing makers from the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with what makes someone a maker, you’re not alone. A maker is any person who devotes creativity, energy, and time to simply creating. It doesn’t matter if…
Community Highlight: Free Event!
Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse Reuse-a-Palooza Saturday July 21 from 11:00AM-3:00PM Allegheny Library, 1230 Federal Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Free! PCCR’s Reuse-a-Palooza is a hands-on creative activity for participants of all ages, perfect for any public event. Come (re)create with us! The Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse’s Reuse-a-Palooza is a fun, educational, and inspiring event for all ages, perfect for large public…
Making MAKESHOP™
Join us and professionals from museums across the country to learn about the design, development and practice of MAKESHOP™ at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Discuss practical ways to integrate authentic and supportive making experiences for children and families into your museum. Meet and mingle with our city’s dynamic maker community, and experience Pittsburgh’s annual Mini Maker Faire! We will explore…
Playtesting Grant Opportunity
Spark and The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh are offering a Playtesting Grant Program for anyone seeking to benefit from the design, engagement, research, evaluation, and resources of MAKESHOP at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Playtesting aims to expose the level of fun and enjoyment that players get out of a certain game, exercise, or project. What, how, who? Anything can be playtested, honestly. Testing can be conducted over a…