Young inventors gathered at Red Deer College this week for a Makerspace camp.
The camp is new to Red Deer College summer camps list this year.
Paul Desrosiers, Makerspace technician at Red Deer College, said children learn during playtime and the camp takes that experience and enhances it.
About 15 children ages eight and 11 experimented with 3D printers, electrocoding, and structures. The students were busy playing with a magnetic structure, a customized button maker, and do-it-yourself projects Wednesday afternoon.
Desrosiers said the takeaway from the camp is to understand 3D printing, understanding how to put things together, and understanding basic engineering skills.
“We teach them along the way what other people have done, teach them how to use a 3D printer, but at the end they get the knowledge to be able to create their own ideas and 3D print them or laser cut them,” he said.
Another camp for older students, ages 12 to 15, will start next week. Desrosiers said the camp next week will challenge students at an advanced level.
“It’s less handing them something that’s been pre-designed, to moving them to designing,” he said.
Desrosiers said there’s no minimum age for children to put their own ideas together and bring them to reality.
“You see kids playing – they’re always creating structure and this is a method to bring the structures into reality.”
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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