On Friday we joined David for the Inventor's Showcase.
First up was the slide show. There were some great shots of David in it! Then it was on to see the inventions.
The highlight is the Take-Apart workshop. The kids bring in something (like an old VCR or computer keyboard--there are guidelines), then work meticulously to take it apart using real tools and safety gear. Then they create something new out of all the pieces in the workshop. This year David took apart our not-so-old computer tower.
I'm not sure what his new invention was, but this is what he had to say about it: "You can never use too much duct tape!"
With some extra time and supplies in the workshop, he also created this robot. I think he mentioned it was to help me clean the house!
In another module, David and some friends were given real-life problems from around the world to solve. They worked together to build this contraption that would help you survive a tsunami.
Now of course I can't remember the details, but it was quite well thought-out! I was impressed.
This year they also built devices to launch rubber ducks (fun!) and learned a lot about geography and weather and ecosystems around the world (all of which is right up David's alley).
David is not as much interested in the actual hands-on construction part. He's not a details guy. But he has great ideas and a big imagination. He also knows a lot about a lot of stuff. And he's generally pretty enthusiastic. He likes making new friends, and I love that he has a whole week of high-quality structure and fun. Camp Invention has been a good fit.
Meanwhile, Mary had her own camp here at home! It was best friend camp. Mary got to spend a whole week with her best friend Brooke. Brooke's mom is attending AMI-Montessori training in Milwaukee this whole summer. So it's a busy summer for their family. I persuaded them to let us have Brooke for a week while her dad was at work and her mom was in Milwaukee. It made for a very special, unforgettable week.
These girls are pretty amazing together. They can play and play and play. It's not entirely without conflict, but they are wonderful problem solvers. They always manage to work things out on their own. I am always so impressed by the way they give and take and how they each seek to be peacemakers.
They had an idyllic week together. They built forts, painted each other's nails, danced as ballerinas, baked a cake, enjoyed popsicles on the deck, curled up in blankets to watch movies, ran through the sprinklers, and spent hours and hours outside riding bikes and scooters and relaxing in the shade eating blueberries. They had a few outings, like one to a splash pad and another to the Children's Museum, but for the most part they entertained themselves here.
A few pictures from the Children's Museum ...
One morning their other best friend, Abby, came over to join in the fun. Those three are peas in a pod. They must be the only kindergarten-age girls on the planet who can have a three-girl play date and not have it go south. They get along so well! (For those of you who don't know, normally having THREE kindergarten-age girls over to play is a recipe for disaster.) The girls had a marvelous morning together playing dress-up and doctor and house and babies.
Then, later in the week Abby's family had an emergency and Abby ended up spending the night with us. Abby got here late at night, long after Mary had gone to bed, so Mary was so surprised to wake up and see one of her best friends asleep on her bedroom floor! As soon as Brooke arrived the girls got to work painting nails and riding bikes.
It all made for a busy week. (Mary was exhausted by the end!) But it was a gift to have Brooke and Abby here. Truly, these girls are special friends. The trio is breaking up soon. Mary is moving. Brooke and Abby will be in different classrooms next year. So glad we had this "friend" summer camp at our house!
