Creative people enjoy sharing their craft with the community. The Atlanta Mini Maker Faire (AMMF) showcased creatives, craft makers, artists, inventors, and technologists from across Georgia and the US. The outdoor conference blended the best of an arts show and a “hands on” science fair.
Sarah and I had the opportunity to take the family to the AMMF. Sarah appreciated the “kid friendly” style of the day. The kids were captivated by creative projects and crafts at every booth. Our first project of the day involved making a paper rocket ship. Unexpectedly, the facilitator of the project invited the kids and family to over to a launch pad. My son’s rocket was placed on an air pressurized launch structure. It was pure joy to see my son jumping excitedly after seeing his rocket travel hundreds of feet into the air and return. At this point, I knew our day would be filled with more surprises.
The kids loved shooting smoke rings into the air, building crafts at the STEAM truck, making glop, and seeing toys created by 3D printers. As we had lunch on Georgia Tech’s beautiful campus, you could notice quad-copters and R/C aircraft dancing in the sky. The boys LOVED all the robots. They especially enjoyed catching Frisbee’s from the robots built by FIRST robotics teams in Georgia. I was very impressed with the young people and mentors building these robots. What a fun way to learn computer science and technology!
Walking around the faire, I enjoyed getting to speak with other Makers and entrepreneurs seeking to improve their community. I greatly valued the opportunity to talk with Jenny Kortina, founder of Blokify.com . She has years of experience designing and coding with the team from SesameStreet.org . SesameStreet.org does an amazing job of encouraging kids to play and learn at the same time. I’m very excited for Jenny in her start-up called Blokify that seeks to make 3D printing and toy making accessible to young makers. I appreciated that she offered me tips on the craft of building game based learning experiences too.
After speaking with founders and members from Georgia Maker spaces, I started to notice a strong theme in the conversations. The result of building a Maker space involves intentional community building and openness to experimentation. It’s important to build the community of creatives first! Resources and location seem to flow from there.
The Rosario’s had an amazing time at the Atlanta Mini Maker Faire. I would strongly encourage our readers to seek out a Maker Faire in your area. They are a wonderful celebration of art and creative technology.
Special thanks to all the Makers and organizers of the conference!
Interested in getting started in Making in your house? Check out the following resources:
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| Pictures from Atlanta Mini Maker Faire 2013 |
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