ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Bernie Zubrowski (from the Boston Children's Museum) did a small, popular
traveling exhibit about fifteen or twenty years ago called Tools and introduced
kids (as I recall) to some old "tools" like the inclined plane as well as some
hand tools through various interactives.

I was also director of the Omaha Children's Museum in the 1980's.  My family
business was lumber; Millard Lumber donated scrap lumber and nails to the
museum.  Kids could saw, nail, etc.  Besides an occasional banged finger, we
didn't ever have any problems.

Home Depot has a couple fun activities.  First, they have kits that they
often present as an activity area at community events, where kids can build
birdhouses, toolboxes, etc, using pre-cut wood and nails; then they can take their
birdhouse home.  Home Depot has also had a program called, I think, If I Had a
Hammer, designed for youth.  A group of fifteen or twenty kids is broken down
into teams.  Each takes a task and together, they put up a small "house",
using some premade wall-sections, windows, roof sections, etc.  The teams have to
do estimates of time, costs, etc before getting to work.  The kids use various
tools to fasten everything together.

Bob Russell
Learning Experience Design
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(202) 997-5539

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