SparkTruck Pit Stop
We had some amazing guests visit the Museum from Stanford University in sunny California. Jason, Didi and Eugene have spent the summer traveling across the United States in a mobile workshop dubbed the SparkTruck. Check it out! Along the way, they have been stopping at museums, community centers, events, and parks… Anywhere they can find. Their truck is full of various…
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…
Playing with Gears
I was asked by a fellow teacher to create something that facilitates the exploration of gears. Gears can be tricky for children to understand, so I thought it was a great challenge! After an extremely informal brainstorming session with Christian, I came up with this activity. I have to thank Christian for passing by during the day and suggesting that…
“MAKE”-APART
I really enjoy when visitors add their projects or creations to MAKESHOP. For example, two visitors, Max and Joey, helped build a new component for our Circuit Block Table. They repurposed a wheel from a remote control and the motor from a broken model boat. I showed them how to test the motor with a battery to see if it…
Meet a Maker!
Do you sometimes wonder who is lucky enough to work in MAKESHOP? Well, here is your chance to meet one of our talented makers! Check back every week to meet new people. This week, we introduce you to one of our Teaching Artists, Rebecca! Name: Rebecca How long have you been at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh? I worked at the prototype…
Meet a Maker!
Here at MAKESHOP we are just bursting at the seams with talent, which we credit to our amazing Teaching Artists. They are the ones that help you tie your knot at the sewing table, solder a pin, or hold two pieces of cardboard in place while you’re taping a recycled sculpture project. Let’s take a closer look at the MAKESHOP…
Music in the MAKESHOP
Our theme for the month of August is sound and music. We have been encouraging visitors to create musical instruments, but the staff has been having a blast creating some instruments of our own. A family came in a couple of days ago and wanted to try and make a pair of harps. I have never made a harp before,…
MakerBot in MAKESHOP
We have a new toy in MAKESHOP — a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer! It’s on loan to us from the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, and we finally broke it out to play with it! Calling this machine a “printer” isn’t entirely accurate: this isn’t a printer like the one on the corner of your desk or even…
Hana-Chaser
Two of my favorite visitors returned to the Museum a couple of days ago and created another amazing project. Their first tinkering, electronic project was dubbed the “Hanna-Occupier”. Their latest project was a motorized car made out of simple, recycled parts. They decided to name it the “Hana-Chaser”. I was excited to collaborate on this great project. Since these were…
How do you make a doorbell?
Harrison comes to the Museum frequently and he absolutely loves tinkering in the MAKESHOP. He tells us about the projects he’s worked on at home. He also shares his ideas for projects that could happen at the Museum. This particular day, Harrison decided he was going to try and make a doorbell for his sister’s room. This was a pretty…