Chanukah, Hanukkah, Festival of Lights. Usually the lights are candles, but I decided to try something a little different this year with these DIY lights. This fun idea can be easily adapted to any holiday that has its own themed silicone baking or candy-making molds. ... [ Read More ]
Win Tickets to the Two Bit Circus Bay Area STEAM Carnival
When my friend Akemi, mom to the awesome Maker Kid, Lucas, asked if I'd heard of Two Bit Circus, the answer was a resounding yes. They seem really cool! Then she asked if I planned on heading to their new San Francisco Bay Area STEAM Carnival. Is there a "sad trombone" emoji? College visits aside, I'll be here in Chicago for the foreseeable future, but I asked Akemi if she'd report on the event. She'll let us know how it goes. In the meantime, ... [ Read More ]
How to Make Simple Stretchy Slime
I’m delighted to be back with yet another activity on behalf of GOJO Industries, the makers of PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer. And just in time for Halloween, we will be making slime, which is also sometimes called gak or flubber. Making this borax-free slime requires just two basic supplies that you may already have on hand. It’s easy to mix up and you’ll definitely want to smoosh and squish it to experience a full range of oozy tactile ... [ Read More ]
Teknikio’s E-Textile Kit
I'd been itching to dabble in e-textiles, or electronic textiles, when I was offered a review kit from Teknikio early this year. They've since rebranded ans switched things up a bit so this is sort of two reviews in one. Teknikio is a new small business helping kids (of all ages) expand their ability to design and engineer amazing things. I think kits are great for exploring new hobbies and the $15 Fabtronic Sewing Set is no ... [ Read More ]
Making Simple Robots with Kathy Ceceri
If you have kids under age 10 and you've asked me about making robots, chances are I've referenced Kathy Ceceri's book, Robotics. The book is full of basic, highly accessible projects, many of which are surprisingly low-tech, but help children (and their parents) understand robot basics. Now Kathy has taken things up a notch. She partnered with MAKE for a follow-up book, Making Simple Robots. I received a review copy of the book; please note that ... [ Read More ]
Circuit Stickers Review: Easy Electronics Basics for All!
I received the Circuit Stickers starter pack for review and liked it enough to include the recently released product in my top STEM gift picks for 2014. I'm a fan of teaching kids basic electronics. I've written raved about products like Snap Circuits and littleBits (affiliate links) that help kids, and adults, learn circuitry basics. Circuit Stickers are a fun, new addition to the electronics arsenal and they offer an intriguing STEAM (STEM + ... [ Read More ]
Disney Animation’s New Movie and the Big Hero 6 XPrize Challenge
A handful of bloggers will soon be going to a red carpet premiere of Disney's latest film, Big Hero 6. I won't be among them. However, last week I got the chance to talk with two top executives at Disney Animation, Andy Hendrickson and Hank Driskill, from the comfort of home, wearing jeans and, likely, the t-shirt I slept in the night before. Clearly, I'm winning. The interviews were lively and interesting. I didn't actually ask a lot about ... [ Read More ]