Makerspace - Developing Creative Thinking

Makerspace gives children a way to explore, experiment and try new ideas in an innovative and exciting exvironment. Making mistakes in makerspace is wonderful. It is a chance to see what works, how to improve it and how to achieve a positive outcome. The enthusiasm on Makerspace Monday is extreme and throughout the rest of the week I get asked, "Is makerspace on today?". Every other day of the week!

Running a STEAM Makerspace in my library accomplished a number of things:

1. It built a new group of children who discovered the library

2. On days when they came but there was no Makerspace - they still stayed to read, play, relax

3. It taught children that making mistakes was a good thing

4. Thinking outside the square - solving problems and thinking differently

5. Trying new and challenging activities, exploring new concepts

6. It encouraged collaborative thinking amongst the children

7. It extended their thought processes in new and exciting ways. It allowed them to view processes and obstacles in a different way.

Makerspace is the way of the future - creating and developing problem solving design thinkers who can think their way around problems. STEAM is the hot topic in education and rightly so as jobs in STEM and STEAM industries are growing at 17% compared with other industries that are growing at 9.8%. Incomes are higher in STEM careers and the ability to become critical thinking innovators is where the children of today will find success in their future careers.

This little video perfectly sums up what a makerspace is. If you don't have a current makerspace I hope this inspires you to have a go. Start small and see the enthusiasm of your children grow, it is so rewarding. Learning through play really is the way to engage students and prepare them for the future.