Abacus lives!

Computers are supposedly great at crunching number, right? Apparently, so are people. This Wikipedia article describes soroban, a Japanese version of abacus. There was reportedly a competition held to compare the accuracy and speed of doing basic arithmetic calculations with an electronic calculator vs. the soroban. The winner? Soroban 4 to 1! The article does not explain the details, but it's safe to assume, since electronic calculations usually take no time at all, it's the time taken to enter an expression into the calculator that slows down the process.

Packing Peanuts vs. Packing Mushrooms

If you’re conducting any of you holiday shopping online, chances are that you’ll get more than just that special gift delivered to your door. The box will be filled with some kind of protective shipping filler, such as packing peanuts or bubble wrap, to keep your item from bouncing around too much while it travels. It’s hard to deny the satisfaction that comes from popping those tiny pockets of air in bubble wrap, but it’s also hard to deny the environmental impact of using petroleum-based packing materials.

To help combat the growing piles of Styrofoam building up in landfills, the company Ecovative has developed a creative and eco-friendly way to use mycelium, the “roots” of mushrooms, to create customized molds that can snugly fit around shipped objects. First the fungus is fed with plant waste, like seed husks or cotton burrs. As it feeds, the mycelium grows into the shape of whatever container is it stored in, and after a few days- voilà! Before it’s used in shipping, the material is heated to prevent further growth, so the fungus doesn’t continue to expand once the shape has been made.

Ecovative is now working to develop Greensulate, a “rigid board insulation” material, also using mycelium. Want to know more about Ecovative’s philosophy of sustainability and the process of growing fungus-based packing supplies? Watch the video below to see co-founder Eben Bayer’s presentation on Ted Talks.  
    

Winter Workshops and Deals

Despite the sunshine and warmer than average temperatures, winter is coming! We know you're busy making holiday preparations and plans for winter breaks, but don't forget to take advantage of our Super Early Bird discount by December 31st, 2011 to save $100 off Summer icamp.* Sign up on our website at www.icampMA.com/icamp.

Registration is also open for February icamp at the JCC in Newton, with Lego robotics, video game design, animation, music, gym time and more. As an extra special deal, everyone signed up for February or April icamps will get a $100 gift certificate good for parties, academic workshops or summer icamp.*

Have questions? Call our office at 617-35-7527 or send an email to info@ctwboston.com. Happy Holidays!

*See our Policies page for restrictions and details.

Check It Out
Winter Classes and Workshops: CTWBoston winter classes are starting soon in Newton, Winchester, Westwood and Lexington. See our online schedule for class dates and technology streams.

Helping Others: Share the season of giving by donating food or volunteering time at the Boston Food Bank. Individuals, groups and schools are welcome to help and learn about their community. Find out how you can help on the BFB website.

Winter Solstice Night: To celebrate the new season and the museum's new exhibit, Headgear: The Natural History of Horns and Antlers, dancers will be preforming the Horn Dance, featuring six human "deers" and horn-based musical instruments. Visit the event website for more information.

Soft Robots: You might associate robotics with hard, heavy, metals, but visit our blog to see some squishy alternatives.

Hacking for Health: While the Xbox kinect is great for dancing and bowling, it's also a useful tool for hackers looking to improve lives through technology. Read our blog post to learn more.

Academic Workshops
In-class academic workshops are a great way to reinforce science and math content in fun, hands-on experiences that students won't forget. We bring all the materials, such as webcams, computers, Legos and other building supplies, and work with teachers to lead exciting workshops that will have students excited and engaged. To learn about programs available for students in grades 2 - 7, call 617-395-7527 or send an email to info@ctwboston.com.

"Soft" Robots

Usually the word “robot” invokes images of large metal machines. But some designers are flipping that convention upside down with explorations in “soft robotics”.

Harvard’s soft robot uses flexible silicone and pneumatics to create a worm-like robot that can move through small cracks and crevices. Watch the video below to see it in action.

For their blob-like robot, iRobot uses a silicone and rubber mix that can “transition between a liquid like and solid like state”, allowing it to “jam” into small spaces. See the video below for a more thorough explanation of the iRobot blob.

Hacking for Health

Since its release the Microsoft Xbox Kinect has been eagerly hacked by creative types to make interactive light shows, light-saber effects, and scanners for 3D printers. Alternative uses of the gaming device became so popular that Microsoft eventually embraced the movement, termed it the “Kinect Effect”, and started supporting hackers by providing resources, how tos and forums.

While many hackers have altered Kinect technology for artistic and gaming purposes, people are also using the device to help the disabled and aid in medical treatments. Here are 3 ways Kinect is being used to improve people’s lives. Want to explore ways to make your own hacked Kinect creations? Check out resources at www.kinectforwindows.org.

Those with limited mobility face a number of challenges; as this video shows, even something as basic as shopping in a grocery store can be difficult and cumbersome. The wi-GO is a hands-free cart on wheels that can detect obstacles and follow a person as they move around.




This project uses a helmet-mounted Kinect camera to map out space and direct the visually impaired. A small headset speaks instructions such as “turn right” to direct the wearer.



Sterilization is critical when doctors operate, but sometimes surgeons need to step out of the operating room to look at scans and images, which requires another wash up. Using the Kinect, doctors can maneuver x-rays and ct scans hands-free and save time.

Link between video games and creativity

New study finds a link between video games and creativity. Association does not imply causation, but still, here it is.

Save on 2012 icamp

Dim the lights and start the drum roll- we've got lots of exciting icamp updates to unveil!

We know how important is it to start getting your plans in place, so we're already taking sign-ups on available 2012 icamps. Registration is now open for February and April Vacation camps, as well Summer icamps in Concord, Belmont, Lexington, Needham, and Newton. Click here to see the current schedule. More Summer sessions will be posted soon, and we'll keep you updated as we add locations and dates.

It's never too early to start saving. Get the Early Bird Discount and save up to $100 off Summer icamp when you register by December 31, 2011. Plus when you sign up for February or April Vacation camp you'll get a $100 gift certificate that can be used on Summer camps a CTWBoston Birthday Party, or an Academic Workshop at your child's school. Know someone who would love icamp? You can get $50 back for referring new campers, and 5% off when you sign up for more than one camp session or register siblings*.

And now you can register at www.icampMA.com with our new registration system! We've made it easier for you to control and access your child's registration information, make payments, and keep track of updated balances. All icamp forms are also online for you to download and review at your convenience.

Have questions? Call our office at 617-395-7527 or send an email to info@ctwboston.com.

*See our Policies page for restrictions and details.

Check it Out!

Seussical the Musical: This fall children ages 8 – 12 can learn the process of staging a musical in the Leventhal-Sidman JCC’s Youth Theatre program. Students will study vocal technique, character development, choreography and more, and put on a fully staged performance. The 13 week program begins Sunday, October 23 from 3-5pm, and seats are still available. For more information call 617-558-6486 or register online at jccgb.org/register.

Textile Revolution: What do laptops, cell phones, and swimsuits have in common? They all evolve over time to meet our specialized needs. If you haven’t considered just how important textile development is to modern living, you’ll want to check out this exhibit at the American Textile History Museum for some hands-on fun. Learn more on their website.

Boston Vegetarian Food Festival: You don’t have to be meat free to appreciate the bounty of this annual food fest. Two days of free samples, coupons, discussions, cooking demos, and discount bargains! In fact, the Veg Fest is popular that this year organizers are offering a $5 preview hour to help you beat the crowds and get first crack at the freebies. See the full schedule on the website.

On the Blog: Over 1,000 volunteers teamed up to build a full-size house made of Legos! The only problem is what to do with it when construction is completed- read our blog post to find out.

Math Games
Scholastic is launching a new initiative to improve middle school math proficiency. As part of the process to ensure high quality educational products that meet the needs of today's students, they are looking for 6th to 8th grade student volunteers to test online math games.

Game-playing sessions will last about 30 minutes and will take place at the Scholastic office in Watertown, MA. Mondays and Wednesday afternoons are preferred, but other days can be scheduled. Snacks will be provided. If your child would be interested in playing online educational video games and giving researchers some basic feedback, please contact Emily Schlemmer (eds006@mail.harvard.edu) or Isabel Schwartzman (ifs003@mail.harvard.edu) to set up an appointment. They would also be happy to answer any questions you may have.

A Lego House Divided

You may know him from the hit British tv show Top Gear, but cars aren’t James May’s only passion.

May and a team of 1,000 volunteers used over 3.3million Lego pieces to design and build a two- story house made of bricks, complete with Lego pets and working plumbing. It’s an incredible structure, but what do you do with a Lego project that big when you’re done putting it together?

After making a deal to buy the house, Legoland changed its mind, realizing that is would cost over $70,000 to move the massive structure. Lego licensing rights also prohibit any other buyers from profiting off of the house, as the company has exclusive rights to use Legos for British public attractions.

Since the winery on which the house was built could not keep it there permanently, and no one else offered to take it, the entire house had to be dismantled. All the bricks are being donated to charity.

It’s a shame that a home could not be found for this beautifully crafted Lego house and unfortunate that those behind the project did not design the structure too be more easily moved. I can’t help but wonder if it was necessary to take apart the entire building and everything in it. Could the flushable Lego toilet have been saved? But, as many have pointed out, Legos are made to build temporary creations and then reused in new projects. Who knows what wonderful things those donated bricks will turn into?

For more pictures of the Lego house, check out this link.

Before













After

New on the Website!

Thank you everyone for a wonderful icamp season with tons of creative campers and awesome projects! In addition to keeping busy with icamp, we've also been working on adding special new features to the growing icampMA website!

Now you can download your child's 2011 icamp and class projects from our new site. Just go to www.icampMA.com, click Login, then Create an account. After you set your user name and password, you can go to KIDS FILES and find your child's class session to download files.

A preview of upcoming fall classes is below, but you can also check out the new schedule here on our website. Times, locations, program descriptions and registration details are available online. There's more in store, including a new registration system that we'll be unveiling soon. Stay tuned!


Check It Out!
Fall classes are about to start and registration is open. Video Game Design, Animation, and Robotics are just a few of the exciting programs coming to a town near you. Visit our website for more details, call us at 617-395-7527 or email info@ctwboston.com for more information.

Amazing Architects, Westwood
Mondays, September 26 - December 5
Grades 3 - 8

Gamemaker Whizards, Westwood
Mondays, September 26 - December 5
Grades 3 - 8

Lego Engineering: Simple Machines, Weston
Wednesdays, September 28 - November 16
Grade K

Animation Whizards, Weston
Wednesdays, September 28 - November 16
Grades 1 - 2

Gamemaker Whizards, Weston
Wednesdays, September 28 - November 16
Grades 3 - 5

Gamemaker Whizards, Lexington
Wednesdays, October 12 - December 7
Grades 3 - 8

Gamemaker One-Day Workshop, Newton
Sunday, October 16
Ages 8 - 13

Robotic Whizards, Newton
Sundays, October 30 - November 20
Ages 8 - 12

Free Summer Fun!

Pulleys and Gears
Students in our Pulleys and Gears academic workshop will never look at their ten speeds quite the same once they learn the relationship of gears, torque and speed.

We break out the LEGO for two hands-on activities focused on gears and pulleys. First students use LEGO bikes to investigate the effects of changing gear ratios. Then they work together to build inchworm bugs and explore how pulleys and gears are used in this complex machine of levers, pulleys, gears, and wedges. If there's time they might even get a chance to race their bugs and see which design is the fastest!

Interested in bringing one of our creative academic workshops to your classroom? Call 617-395-7527 or email info@ctwboston.com for more information.


Check it Out!
Free Friday Flicks: bring a picnic and the family to the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell for Free movies, such as Toy Story 3 and Iron Man 2. Visit the DCR website for movie listings.

Free Fun Fridays: The Highland Foundation sponsers free Fridays to key attraction in Greater Boston region. Upcoming specials include Stone Zoo, the Children's Muesum,. and the Ecotarium. See the complete list of attractions and dates on the Free Fun Fridays website.

Boston GreenFest: A weekend of free green events is coming up starting August 18th. Concerts, eco-friendly fashions, forums, and the One Gallon Challenge car race are just a few features. See the complete schedule on the offical website.

Zooniverse: Put your downtime to work by joining in some cool citizen science projects! Learn more on our blog.


Fall Planning
We're almost ready to roll out the fall schedule! Library workshops, after-school clubs, in-class academic programs, and special events are on their way. Looking for some creative programs for your classroom, after school program or child's party? Learn more about our classes and events by emailing info@ctwboston.com, or calling us at 617-395-7527.

Scenes from icamp 2011
Just a few of many memorable moments from icamp- see more pictures on our Facebook Page!

Zooniverse!

Back in February we talked about Crowd Accelerated Innovation, the notion that the internet allows more people to share more information and thereby make more advances to new ideas. Zooniverse capitalizes on that power of crowds to help sift through science data.

Run by the Citizen Science Alliance, an international organization of researchers, Zooniverse has 8 different projects for everyday people to be involved in by sifting through data points. While you may think that computers would be more appropriate for performing that work, the Citizen Science Alliance argues that humans are much better at recognizing the strange and unusual quirks that often lead to important discoveries. In the Planet Hunters project, for example, people sort through images taken from the NASA Kepler space mission and search for decreases in brightness that may indicate a planet passing before a star and lead to the discovery of a new planet. These changes in light can be much easier for humans to spot than for computers to recognize.

Other projects include Moon Zoo, Galaxy Zoo Hubble, Galaxy Zoo Understanding Cosmic Mergers, Galaxy Zoo the Hunt for Super Nova, Solar Storm Watch, The Milky Way Project, and Old Weather.

So next time you’re bored and tempted to waste some time on addictinggames.com, why not put your downtime to work and help chip away at some scientific advancements? Who knows, you might just discover something new!

Workshops and Summer Events

Stability Workshop
The three little pigs may have fared better had they learned about stability and factors that keep structures from collapsing! Students in our Stability in-class workshop won't have a problem building a house that can stand up to the big bad wolf.

Working under the guide of our instructors, Triangulation at work.students use Lego materials to investigate the shapes and conditions that keep structures stable. Three activities in bridge construction, house building, and an exercise in balance teach students about symmetry, triangulation, tension and compression.

Interested in bringing one of our creative academic workshops to your classroom? Call 617-395-7527 or email info@ctwboston.com for more information.

Check It Out!
Through the Looking Glass: Be sure to visit the MFA to behold this spectacular display of glass sculptures. Luscious colors and shapes are presented in unique arrangements, including a ceiling display of colorful pieces that visitors can view from below. Visit the MFA website for more information.

Summer in the City: The Cambridge Arts Council presents a variety of free programs and performances throughout the summer, including puppet shows, music jams, dance performances and more! See the full schedule on the Cambridge website.

Invention Awards: Check out our blog for highlights from this year's Popular Science Invention Awards.

Competition and Learning: We explore the uses of competition in education and how to organizations like FIRST foster healthy competition with kids. Visit our blog to read more.

Fall Planning
We're planning ahead and getting our schedule ready for fall! Library workshops, after-school clubs, in-class academic programs, and special events are on our radar. If you're like us and starting to plan your calendar for the next academic year, learn more about available programs by emailing info@ctwboston.com, or calling us at 617-395-7527.

Spatial Thinking, Learning Styles, and Nature vs. Nurture

There is a very thoughtful article on spatial thinking by Nora S. Newcombe, a Psychology professior at Temple University. The article is titles "Picture This: Increasing Math and Science Learning by Improving Spatial Thinking." Einstein, evidently, thought entirely in visual terms, and has once said “The words or the language, as they are written or spoken, do not seem

to play any role in my mechanism of thought," - the terms "mechanism of thought" being a nice spatial concept itself. On a more ordinary plane, people with good spatial abilities tend to excel in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). In the article, Newcombe discusses some of the ways in which spatial abilities can be nurtured and supported, also touching on the concepts of learning styles, gender differences in spatial skills, and the question of nature vs. nurture.

It occurs to me, coincidentally, that spatial abilities are often very strong in people with autism spectrum disorders. Temple Grandin wrote "Thinking in pictures" where she described entire movies of mechanical action playing in her head before she sets anything down on paper as a design.

Daydreaming

Daydreaming is milk to the butter of invention.

What is it about competition?

If a rational, friendly, and very curious alien landed on earth and tried to make sense of our human activities, there would be a lot to be explained. Arts, for one thing. Music. Perhaps the political systems. But I'm sure that by far the most perplexing task would be to understand competitive sports. Competitive sports drive us to wild extremes: single-minded life commitments, injury, gambling, and broken friendships - not to mention $25,000 event tickets. I am sure brain science has a biochemical explanation for why competition is such a power force. But what I really want to know is how can we harness that power to help us learn?

It's an old idea. Spelling bees have been around for a long time. Jeopardy helps one develop certain cerebral muscle. So can we use it more often for subjects so many kids find challenging - math, reading, science, programming?

I've heard objections to the use of competition in schools on the grounds that it fosters aggressive behavior, and kids on the losing side can be discouraged and upset. But this can be overcome. The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotic competition is a great example of fostering a competitive spirit that encourages cooperation and turns a loss into an inspiring experience. How does that happen?

FIRST competitions foster a clever set of rules and incentives. Do not beat up on another team's robot, they might be your partner in the next round. Stay within the rules, or lose points. Plan and practice. Help your teammates do their best work, it's best for the team. Know what you do best. These are universal rules that promote learning from the experience and will serve you well in life. In a FIRST competition they might help you win, but even those who don't win walk away from the experience happy, ecstatic even, about the entire experience, and talk about learning more than they have ever learned in the classroom.

Google Art Project

Nothing can compare with the experience of seeing a work of art live and in person. But for those of us limited by geography from visiting art museums around the globe, the Google Art Project is the next best thing.

Museums have teamed up with Google to create virtual tours, letting users view the museums the same way we explore streets on Google map’s street view. Simply select the museum you want to visit and let your mouse guide you room by room through its galleries, or click on the floor plan to see a specific room in the museum. You can also choose to simply view the museum’s art without navigating through the building (although then you don’t get to see the museum’s layout and architecture).

As part of their agreements with Google, each museum is able to limit user access to its exhibits; the Metropolitan Museum of Art lets you explore almost its entire first and second floors, while others are restricted to only 1 gallery.

But while the selection can be limited, Google lets you zoom in up-close to see details and brushstrokes that could go missed in a live viewing of the piece. Menus on the side provide additional information about the art, artist, and links to more work. You can also create your own saved collection of favorites and notes about the art, and share those online with friends.

So while you may never a class trip or family vacation to the National Gallery, you can still enjoy the shared experience of viewing and discussing some of its art.

Popular Science Invention Awards

The results are in and 10 winners have been picked for this year’s Popular Science Invention Awards. Submissions must have physical prototypes (no conceptual entries), and be original ideas (not improvements to pre-existing products). Here’s a quick look at a few top winners; you can see all winning devices and demonstration videos on the Popular Science website.

Mechanical Hand: No wires required for this prosthetic. A socket-and-cable system harness allows the user to control the device with his shoulders, and each finger has 3 knuckles that been individually to grasp and hold objects.

The Print Brush: Upload an image to the Print Brush, then simply wave it across any flat surface to print that picture. As Pop Sci explains, this hand-held printer “operates more like a computer mouse than a printer.” Laser sensors track the device’s location and reflect light off the surface to determine where to print, working on paper, plastic, wood and fabric.

Vital Sign Mirror: It started as an MIT student project to transform a webcam into a heart rate monitor and developed into this clever device that projects your heart rate on top of your reflection. Behind the glass is a laptop and a webcam that can detect minute light changes. Since blood absorbs light, you reflect less light off your skin when your pulse is high. The webcam detects those light levels, and the computer translates the levels into your heart rate. The students are now working on including other vitals in the read out.

Less Than 3 Weeks Left!

Summer's Coming!

Let the countdown begin- we are less than 3 weeks away from the glories of summer vacation! Less than 3 weeks until the school doors close and kids come home eager for an unforgettable summer of opportunities.

Still scrambling to make your plans? Icamps across Greater Boston are filling up fast, but there’s still time to save your child’s seat and join us for our 5th season of story-telling, movie-making, building, playing and learning at icamp.

To register for icamp in Westborough, Concord, Weston, Belmont, Needham, Lexington, or Newton visit our website or call us at 617-395-7527.

Check It Out!
The Record:Artists explore the cultural significance of vinyl records at the ICA in the exhibit The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl. Works include a 16 foot canoe made of records and famous album cover art. Full details can be found on the exhibit website.

Programs at Mount Auburn Cemetery: On June 14th visitors can take a tour of the park and describe how various plants have changed and survived over time. Also on the Mount Auburn Cemetery calendar is a tour of the Egyptian Revival Monuments, and a program featuring the circles and spirals that occur in nature. View their full June schedule on the website.

Science Images: The International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge awards creative depictions of scientific concepts and themes. You can see some of the amazing images that have won in past years on our blog.

Artificial Intelligence: While it’s still not perfect, artificial intelligence is advancing and becoming more and more prevalent on the web. Read our blog post to learn more about chat bots and virtual humans.

Fall Planning

Sure, we’re excited about summer. But we’re also planning ahead and getting our schedule ready for fall! Library workshops, after-school clubs, in-class academic programs, and special events are on our radar. If you’re like us and starting to plan your calendar for the next academic year, learn more about available programs by emailing info@ctwboston.com, or calling us at 617-395-7527.

Chatting with Computers

Turing tests have received a lot of attention lately thanks to Brian Christian and his new book, The Most Human Human: What Talking With Computers Teaches Us About What It Means to Be Alive. The book describes Christian’s experience participating in the Loebner Prize competition, a contest that awards the computer program that most accurately replicates human interaction. Contests such as these are designed to advance AI technology, the goal being a program that provides responses indistinguishable from those of a human and can therefore be considered to be thinking.

It may sound like science-fiction, but such programs are actually being used more and more on the web. Companies like Ikea are using virtual assistants on their websites to help customers, virtual humans that respond to perceived human emotions are used for training medical students and law enforcement, and a variety of chat bots that are designed to replicate human conversation can be found online.

Want to see a chat bot in action? Talk with Suzette, winner of the 2010 Loebner Prize (registration required) or the 2008 winner Elbot (no registration needed).

Science Through Image

Words are only one medium by which to think about scientific concepts, and many scientific minds utilize multiple intelligences to work through their ideas. Even Einstein used visualization exercises to work through thought experiments, imagining himself chasing a beam of light to consider ideas of relativity.

Recognizing that language is only one way to describe scientific phenomena, the National Science Foundation and the publication Science developed the International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge (ISEVC). Since 2003, ISEVC has awarded prizes in four categories: Photography, Illustrations, Informational Posters and Graphics, and Interactive Games and Non-Interactive Media. The 2010 winners include a 3D illustration of HIV, a video tracking where individual pieces of garbage travel after you throw them out, and a colorful Introduction to Fungi poster.

You can review all the winning entries and honorable mentions from 2010 and past Challenges on the National Science Foundation website, but here are a few eye-popping highlights.

Kuens Surface: A Meditation on Euclid, Lobachevsky and Quantum Fields; 2009 First Place Illustration Winner

Save Our Earth. Let's Go Green. (self-assembling polymers); 2009 First Place Photography Winner

String Vibrations, 2009 Honorable Mention in Photography

What Lies Behind Our Nose? (3D image looking upward at the sinuses from underneath the head); 2007 First Place Photography Winner

Workshops and Science Festivals

Simple Machines Workshop
Trapeze artists, lion tamers and silly clowns make the circus entertaining, but levers, inclined planes and other simple machines make the circus educational.

In our Simple Machines in-class workshop, second grade students are challenged to solve problems around the Big Top by building models of simple machines. In the process they'll also create their own simple machine story books to take home and share what they've learned. (Do you know which simple machine will help raise the flag?)

Interested in bringing one of our creative academic workshops to your classroom? Call 617-395-7527 or email info@ctwboston.com for more information.

Check It Out!
Cambridge Science Festival: The annual celebration of science is underway with activities running through May 8th. Lectures, workshops, art performances, and other events for people of all ages are scheduled. CTWBoston will be there- visit the official website to see the complete line up.

Arnold Arboretum: Spring flowers are in bloom, and the Arnold Arboretum is celebrating with Lilac Sunday on May 8th, with free family events, tours, and performances planned. The Arboretum is also screening a documentary and discussion of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted designed parks across the country, including Boston’s Emerald Necklace and New York’s Central Park. Registration (and $10) is required for to attend; register at the Arboretum website.

Stumble Upon: Sifting through the giant haystack of search engines like Google to find relevant websites can take more time and patience than it’s sometimes worth. Visit our blog post to learn how Stumble Upon can help reduce the hassle.

Kerpoof: Tell a story, make a picture, make a card or make a movie on this website for kids. Learn more on our blog.

Upcoming Icamps
Save your child's seat soon! Register for icamp in Wellesley, Westborough, Concord, Weston, Belmont, Needham, Lexington (only 2 seats left!), and Newton. See the full schedule of dates and locations on our website.

Kerpoof!

Of all the Disney websites for kids, Kerpoof may be my favorite. With easy to use drag and drop features, Kerpoof lets kids make animations, pictures, cards and stories that they can save, print or email to friends (email and saving does require the user to make an account).

Kerpoof provides an assortment of free backgrounds, characters, and templates for children to work with, such as Robot City, Rock Band, Fairy Tales, and Pet Land. Those using the free version may eventually feel limited by the selection (similar to sites like Club Penguin, additional features are available for paying members), but the existing variety is enough to get creative ideas flowing.

Options like “Make a Picture” and “Make a Card” are fun, but the real gem of Kerpoof is “Make a Movie”. Kids drag character and props into their scene, and then drag character methods, or behaviors, into the movie timeline and set the duration. This is a perfect setup for younger kids or those just starting to work with animation; it provides enough control that the child has to learn the logic of working with a timeline, but avoids the repetition of building every individual frame.

Keep in mind, Kerpoof’s limited functions make for very basic animation. But it’s fun and easy enough that kids can create a cute little movie in an afternoon.

Stumble Upon This

It can be difficult and time consuming to sort through the vastness of the World Wide Web to find those sites that really interest you, but Stumbleupon.com hopes ease that process. Check the specific topics that interest you most, such as Medieval History, Computer Hardware, or Left-handedness, then click Stumble and let the site pull up appropriate results.

Voting results thumbs up or down helps Stumbleupon determine which sites may grab your interest, and users can connect and “follow” the recommendations of friends and other users. The site also keeps a bookmark of your favorites for easy future access.

I find Stumpleupon most useful for those times when I’m online but don’t have a particular objective in mind; I “stumble my interests” and find optical illusions from Scientific America, unique knitting patterns from The Pearl Bee, and vegetarian recipes from Post Punk Kitchen. And instead of spending who knows how long wading through Google results, I get to spend more of my time exploring my interests.

Open House and New Events

Visit icamp

Not sure if icamp is right for your child? Visit us at the icamp Open House in Weston. Meet icamp staff, try out technology, and have your questions answered.

What: icamp Open House

Where: 20 Alphabet Lane, Weston

When: Tuesday, April 19th from 4:30pm - 6:00pm

Families are also invited to the Friday Project Showcase on April 22nd to share our celebration of camper work.The show will be held from 3:00pm - 4:00pm at the Weston icamp. Please RSVP for the Project Showcase at 617-395-7527 so we can ensure appropriate seating.

Check It Out

Belmont World Film Festival: The 10th annual event continues through April 25. Films screen every Monday at the Studio Cinema. For show times and tickets visit the Belmont World Film website.

Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio (BEAMS): This group "showcases the depth and breadth of music made with electronic and computer sounds". A special sound system is being installed for the free concert at Brandeis University on April 30th. Go to the website to learn more.

Comic Life: The software is now available for Macs! A great and inexpensive tool to get kids writing and telling stories, Comic Life has easy-to-use templates and cool photo effects that make your pictures jump off the page. We used to create "A Week at a Glance" in the icamp brochure. Full product info is on the website.

Whole Brain Catalog: If you haven't seen our recent blog post on this amazing project, you really don't know what you're missing!

Smart Phones Geotag Photos: Don't reveal too much information when you upload pictures from your smart phone. Read our blog to learn more.

Bring Your Child To Work

Do you work with Technology? Does your office have a "Bring Your Child To Work" Day? Let your kids experience technology firsthand by introducing our engaging half-day workshops at your office. Contact us for details, or forward this message to the friendly HR representative who coordinates these events.