tinkerfest preview

Preview Tinkerfest with a full day of hands-on pop-up activities throughout the Museum! Get ready to test, experiment, discover, and of course, TINKER!

8:30 - 9:30 am ~ members only

• tinkering with textiles (Placita Mágica): use precut felt shapes to create a custom felt quilt block while exploring shapes, patterns, colors, and the basics of patchwork and quilting.
• zoetrope pop-up Climate Action Heroes): explore stop-motion animation by drawing images onto paper strips to create a moving story inside a zoetrope.

9:30 am - 4:30 pm ~ tinkering corner programming

• automata: Get ready to tinker, twist, and make things move! Explore the science of simple and complex machines by playing with cams, cranks, and all kinds of moving parts, then build a moving sculpture that wiggles, spins, jumps, or dances.

9:30 - 11:30 am ~ pop-up activities

• tinkering with textiles (Placita Mágica): use precut felt shapes to create a custom felt quilt block while exploring shapes, patterns, colors, and the basics of patchwork and quilting.
• zoetrope pop-up Climate Action Heroes): explore stop-motion animation by drawing images onto paper strips to create a moving story inside a zoetrope.
• chain reaction (DC Mural Wall): build and test a series of connected actions using blocks, ramps, and balls. Tinker with timing, spacing, and placement to trigger the perfect chain reaction
• balance pop-up (On-the-Go-Go): explore balance by tinkering with wire sculptures. Place different items on the wire and discover what it takes to keep everything balanced.

11:45 am - 12:00 pm ~ steam storytime

• Boxitects by Kim Smith (Little Dreamers): listen to a story about how architects and engineers use creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving to design and build. Then become a Boxitect yourself, working with large slot-and-connect cardboard pieces to construct a collaborative structure!

12:30 - 3:30 pm ~ pop-up activities

• scribble machines (Placita Mágica): explore movement, circuits, and art through tinkering with motors
• heat sensitive art (Climate Action Heroes): experiment with heat-sensitive materials and use the warmth of your hands to reveal colors and create one-of-a-kind designs
• bike spirographs (DC Mural Wall): use real bicycle gears as oversized spirograph cogs to create bold geometric patterns. Explore how gear size, tooth count, and rotation direction change the complexity of your design.