Gever Tulley’s Tinkering School sounds like a lot of fun, and it’s just the kind of experience today’s overscheduled, classroom-imprisoned kids need. But at $1200 for 6 days, it’s out of the reach of many parents.
But why couldn’t a few parents get together to provide a similar experience for their kids? Maybe hang out in someone’s garage with a bunch of power tools and some donated lumber, and let the kids loose (with some parental guidance) to tinker to their hearts’ content?
As long as the parents teach the kids how to use the power tools safely, I think this would be an awesome learning experience. Perhaps a homeschool support group could sponsor a day-long tinkering workshop for kids. I mean, who wouldn’t want to build their own roller coaster?
(Here’s another Tulley video; it’s called “Five Dangerous Things for Kids.”)
Barbara,
We LIVE that way. After leaving a Discovery Museum recently, my two boys expressed disappointment with the experience. My husband told them it’s because they LIVE in a discovery museum.
I would encourage more parents to lighten up, teach their children to use tools safely, and most importantly, quit worrying that their manicured lawn is getting littered with all the projects their children create.
Thanks for sharing this. Hopefully it will encourage some folks to allow their children the freedom to create.
Blessings,
Carol
Hi Barbara,
I must point out that we do offer a scholarship program, but perhaps more to your point, the charter of Tinkering School is to promote and create meaningful hands-on experiences for children world-wide. To that end, we freely share all of the process and techniques we use with everyone who asks. Our summer program is an immersive training for the volunteers who are then taking the ideas back and starting programs in their local communities (Baltimore, Seattle, Austin, Singapore, Dubai, and more). We also help people who just want to open their garage and teach their children or kids in their neighborhood learn how to build things. I would encourage any parents or home-schoolers to contact us directly, we’ll help them get started.
All the best,
-gever
We touched on a bit of this kind of thing with our homeschool co-ops. Great real life stuff! Thanks for sharing this, Barbara.
Carol, your kids are so fortunate. I’ll bet the neighbor kids like coming over and hanging out.
Gever, thanks so much for stopping by and letting homeschoolers know that we can get help and ideas from you. Your “Tinkering School” concept is terrific, and much-needed by all kids.
Karen, most of the co-ops I’ve known about were more textbook-based. Sounds like you know some good ones.
Pingback: Carnival of Homeschooling – Party Edition | Homeschool Bytes
My nephews have a “laboratory” (they don’t quite spell it that way) in the basement where they have heaps of old junk and tools to take apart (and occasionally, put back together). It’s so cool!
What a great idea! My girls were blessed with a dad who let them tinker with him and all of them can wield a hammer and screwdriver better than I could at their age. He was great at teaching safety precautions and set a goal for them to be able to accomplish certain steps before they could “man” his biggest saw. They were so proud when they accomplished that!
Now my grandchildren are following their parents around and learning as well. It’s a very useful tradition!
Homeschooling programs like these would be especially great for single parent families or kids who’s dad might be deployed! 🙂
Q of C, I think your nephews are very fortunate!
Kaye, glad to hear the tradition continues 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!