Makeshop™

A creative space to play with ideas, explore materials, and tinker with tools.

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

What I saw at the Faire

IMG_5001

More photos of the Faire by photographer Larry Rippel at Children’s Museum Flickr page. I was apprehensive about writing this post.  I assumed that it would be an easy, quick description of the Mini-Maker Faire.  A run-through about the objects and devices on display.  A very cut and dry kind of post, but once I started writing, I realized that I had…

Read more →

Making a MakeShop

IMG_4586

Creating an exhibit is quite the experience; there are so many people involved and so many things that need to be done.  You don’t just push a button and a whole new room sprouts up somewhere in the Museum.  This was a huge collaborative effort between everyone in the entire Museum. Last Friday the team spent a very long day…

Read more →

Making Teachers Into Makers

The MakeShop team recently hosted a teacher professional development workshop at the  Regional Arts Education Day.  Our main goal was to engage teachers in the design process to explore different ways that it can be applied, specifically how it can be applied to classrooms and instructional planning. The teachers were briefed on what exactly the MakeShop is and what it strives to do.  We…

Read more →

Introducing the team!

The MakeShop is excited to introduce the newest members of our team.  We are incredibly lucky and proud to have such an amazing group of individuals.  These people are some of the best makers and educators in the area and will be available to work alongside our visitors. Lisa Brahms, Research Fellow and MakeShop Project Lead Adam Nye, MakeShop Manager Amy DiPlacido,…

Read more →

MakeShop is Coming Soon

The new MakeShop exhibit will be located in a large, better equipped space that will allow our visitors to make in many different ways! The MakeShop will include some of the following specialty areas. WoodShop – Use real woodworking tools to shape wood and build your own projects, like birdhouses and more! SewShop – Learn to use a sewing machine…

Read more →

Exciting News

The MakeShop space is currently being renovated and the exhibit will open on October 22.  Please visit this blog for more details!  We will be posting staff biographies, pictures and a sneak peak at what the new exhibit will look like.

Read more →

An experiment with physics.

IMG_4410

While cleaning out the MakeShop closet I stumbled upon several large plastic and cardboard tubes.  Apparently these simple objects were enough to inspire some real creativity from two girls.  It was funny, I our Executive Director, Jane, actually asked the two what they were planning on doing with the tubes?  They immediately told her that they were going to build…

Read more →

Kids Making…Adults Playing

IMG_4400

A family came into the MakeShop on Thursday and spent quite a lot of time making projects.  Well…The kids made projects, the adults just played.  The kdis worked on two amazing projects that were designed and created by them with no instruction at all.  One was a wooden boat and the other was a stuffed doll.  Both projects were incredible,…

Read more →

The Power Flower and Curious Creatures

David Edwards visited the MakeShop a couple of days ago.  He brought along his Power Flower; which is essentially a large, solar powered sculpture in the shape of a giant, metallic flower.  This is a very impressive piece of artwork and it really caught people’s attention when they set foot in the Shop. Dave also brought along with him, what…

Read more →