Capturing the imagination

For the third year running the Institute of Imagination will be hosting a Mini Maker Faire on Saturday 29 July.

This is not just any fair and what has captured my imagination is the variety and complexity of actvities on offer for children.

Forget decorating a mug or making a card this showcase is a place to bring out the inventor in your child. Allowing children to get hands on with tools and technology that they don't normally have access to.

The event will be held at the Imagination Lab on London’s Albert Embankment.

The charity, Institute of the Imagination (Incredible name!) Will be partnering with crafters, printers, weavers, sound artists, technologists, computers scientists and more to showcase the diverse and amazing work of the UK’s making community.

Activities you can expect on the day

Build computer programmes using physical objects and toys with Everyone Can Program
Make with cardboard owls and fabric birds and engage in basic science experiments including a lollipop stick explosion with DK Books
Play with Raspberry Pi and Arduino powered football robots with Red Robotics
Experience classic computer games on historic machines with The National Museum of Computing
Build a floating raft from recyclable materials with OJO
Construct elastic band cars and flying straw crafts with Roberts Workshop
Design and build a DIY USB digital microscope with StoneTurners
Interact with a giant laser cutter alongside Digihouse and Trotec

Check out the video of the first Mini Maker Faire!

We will be attending this event as there's just too many great things on offer that your children don't get exposure to anywhere else.

I'm also fascinated to hear more about the Institute which is committed to creating opportunities for children and their families to imagine, create, experiment and explore together.