In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, it is essential to provide children with opportunities to explore their creativity and enhance their problem-solving skills. This is where our MakerSpace program comes in, offering a unique hands-on learning experience that engages children in building and creating different things.
One of our most recent and exciting MakerSpace projects was building two dummies to launch off of the Diamond Peak Ski Resort ski hill for Dummy Downhill. This annual event is a fun-filled competition where participants build dummies and launch them off a ski jump. The dummies are judged on creativity, design, and the distance they travel before crashing.
Our Lower School students were excited to take part in the competition and worked tirelessly to build two dummies that would stand out from the rest. We encouraged the children to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas for their designs. They worked together to sketch out their designs and construct the dummies. They overcame challenges such as deciding on the right materials and ensuring that the dummies would be aerodynamic enough to travel far. The end results were one pencil-shaped dummy built by grades 3-5 and one that looked like an airplane built by grades K-2, aptly named Number 1 Pencil and LTS Airways.
On the day of the competition, the children were full of excitement and anticipation as they climbed up the steep ski hill to watch their dummies launch off the jump. The energy was palpable as the Number 1 Pencil approached the slope first. While our first dummy did not quite make it down the hill to the jump, students were hopeful as LTS Airways was launched next. Not only did our airplane dummy look like a true plane taking flight off the runway, but it also snagged a “Survivor” victory for remaining intact after landing!
In Lake Tahoe School’s thriving MakerSpace program, we go above and beyond by not only teaching children how to build various projects but also build character, foster creativity, and promote teamwork and problem-solving skills. We provide a supportive and collaborative environment where children can experiment with different tools, materials, and techniques to create a wide range of projects. From robotics to woodworking, our MakerSpace offers a variety of activities that cater to different interests and skill levels. The Dummy Downhill project was just one example of how our MakerSpace program encourages children to think critically, work collaboratively, and have fun while learning. We can’t wait to see what projects our makers will come up with next!
