Playing To Learn

Tinkerfest puts imagination to work

A man and boy launch a stomp rocket at last year's Tinkerfest.
A man and boy launch a stomp rocket at last year's Tinkerfest.

In the popular "The Hunger Games" series Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark wear custom-designed outfits that appear to catch fire with the press of a button. In fact, the pair wear several custom-designed outfits throughout the series -- both books and films -- that appear to catch fire. While a bit of movie magic was employed to create the image for the films, anyone can create a similar version -- think LEDs instead of flames -- using sewable circuitry.

Asia Ward, an artist, educator and tinkerer, will demonstrate soft circuits Saturday at Tinkerfest -- a gathering of tinkerers and makers from around the country to show off what they do.

FAQ

Tinkerfest

WHEN — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE — Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, 1009 Museum Way

COST — Included in general admission to museum ($9.50) or membership (starting at $95 per year for family)

INFO — 696-9280 or amazeum.org

FYI

Community Art Project 2015

Anyone who missed First Friday last week (Oct. 2) in Bentonville can still participate in Community Art Project 2015. Art stations will be set up at the pavilion at the Scott Family Amazeum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Participants will create a piece of art to represent community or innovation or both. Artwork will be on display in November in the new Neighborhood Market on the Bentonville square.

INFO — 273-1329 or walmartmuseum.com

"And hopefully inspire our guests to try some of these things on their own," says Dana Engelbert, marketing manager for Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, the location of Tinkerfest.

A tinkerer is anyone who has an idea and commits to working it out, Ward says.

"You take on something you are curious about, break it down and try to find the essential components. Then you build it up in a way that isn't necessarily engineered to solve a problem," she says. "[Tinkering] is not trying to fix something; it's trying to investigate it, explore it and present it in a way that's easy to understand. It has a focus, but it's not driven by a formal testing or understanding of the standards."

Soft circuits, also known as sewable circuitry and e-textiles, are electrical circuits created using flexible conductive materials in conjunction with discrete electronics components, according to "Getting Hands-On With Soft Circuits" by Emily Lovell.

Ward's demonstrations will use common items, such as Christmas lights and switches, in uncommon ways and with materials not typically associated with circuits.

Children often feel like there is a certain way they are supposed to use these items, Ward says.

"I help kids realize their crazy ideas," she says. "I can show them they can build things in any way that works best for them."

Tinkerfest will take place throughout the new children's museum and outside on the museum grounds. The museum will be open its regular hours, which will "double the experience," Engelbert says.

The museum hosted the event last year at Old High Middle School in Bentonville. One popular part of last year's activities was the disassembling of a minivan, Engelbert says.

"We'll have another car to take apart," she says of the upcoming event. "Last year it was fun for the kiddos to destroy that minivan."

Tinkering is right in line with the mission of the children's museum, which also partners with Bentonville schools on a classroom tinkering program.

"Tinkering is about encouraging play -- in that moment of play we find our creativity and that opens us up to learning." Englebert says. "People have noticed we need to play. We need to understand the way ordinary things work."

"It's neat to have a lot of fun with these things, but then it starts you thinking about about what you can do with these -- practical applications," she adds.

NAN What's Up on 10/09/2015

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