The Tinkering Workshop: Wild Windmills

Workshop for children ages 7 and up with Ryan Jenkins, Freiburg & the U.S.

Join educator and author Ryan Jenkins for a hands-on tinkering workshop to build fun creations and explore science, art, and engineering. Together, we’ll be inspired to look at familiar materials in new and unexpected ways, to think with our hands, troubleshoot tricky constructions, and sharpen our problem-solving skills.

In this workshop, we’ll explore wind-powered creations. We’ll build some simple turbines and then experiment together to see how these contraptions can be turned into sound-making devices or serve as starting points for bringing stories to life with moving characters. We’ll learn how to use hot-glue guns, wire cutters, and round-nose pliers as we construct our wind-powered spinners.

Through this activity, we’ll gain an understanding of the possibilities for tinkering at home, at school, and in informal learning environments. The workshop will last 2 hours, and participants will have the opportunity to take their projects home at the end of the session to continue building and tinkering at home. The session is recommended for children ages 7 and up, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.