| Exploratorium

Two learners build together with a facilitator

Everyone Belongs in Tinkering

Tinkering is more than a collection of activities. It is a constructivist approach to learning...

A hand-drawn cartoon shark with the words "Shark Sandwich" written above it.

Wooden sharks: Preschool explorations with the Glowforge

In my daughters’ Spanish Immersion preschool classroom in San Francisco, children have daily opportunities to visit the art...

Two tiger silhouettes, one larger and one smaller, are displayed on a white background.

STEAM Starters case study: Where are the stripes?

December 30, 2019

We have recently embarked in the second half of our STEAM Starters project to explore tinkering practices in the context of...

Striking abstract image featuring a dark circular frame with a landscape of intersecting light waves and patterns against a dark background, creating a dramatic and visually captivating scene.

Reflections on Light

November 21, 2019

Yesterday the team spent the afternoon just… playing around with lots of bright lights and various materials to make shadows...

Excited woman holding up a playing card with the drawing of a fish in a bowl on it

Iterating on our Tinkering Workshop

November 13, 2019

Earlier in October, Deanna and I traveled to Milan, Italy, for something that has become somewhat of a tradition for us in the...

Close-up view of a person's hands carefully using a pair of tweezers to hold a small insect or item.

Tinkering in the Digital Age Roundup

October 31, 2019

Over the last couple of years the Tinkering Studio embarked in the exploration of a rather challenging topic: how can we...

Flat Earth as an illustration of scientific misconceptions

Tinkering and the Art of Misconceptions

Recently, while having a dialogue with colleagues visiting to learn more about tinkering, the conversation shifted toward the...

Two children sitting in a science lab, working with scientific equipment.

Marble Machines Revisited

As Lianna mentioned yesterday, we have been exploring the idea and practice of expanding some core Tinkering Studio activities...

A simple handmade model of a person made from wooden blocks and sticks, standing on a table or desk amid various office supplies.

Tinkering and the Art of the Perfect Example

The Tinkering Studio presents some unique design challenges when it comes to creating experiences for visitors to the museum...

A middle-aged man in a suit stands in front of a display case filled with various nautical and maritime-themed objects.

Keith Newstead's Secret

November 7, 2018

We are hosting automata maker Keith Newstead in conjunction with the newly opened Curious Contraption winter show...

A cartoon drawing of a hand-shaped object with a checkered pattern.

Scaffolding an Introduction to Scratch

In anticipation to Scratch Day we have been experimenting in the Tinkering Studio with the awesome video sensing ability...

A hand holding a pair of silver scissors in front of a blurred background.

Sound Harvesting

December 8, 2017

We have been experimenting with ways of collecting and exploring interesting sounds. One of the first attempts at tackling this...