Update: Now for students in grades 4 -8 in Fall 2025
Build a kinetic sculpture or mechanical crank-driven automaton in this two-day workshop. Learn basic engineering and physics principles with Jay Mankita, founder of Playful Engineers, while making simple machines come alive through artful design.
Work with wood and wire, cardboard, and other ordinary materials. Experiment with crankshafts, cams, and linkages. You will you plan, assemble, and fine-tune your own kinetic project that tells a story, sets a scene, or brings a character to life.
Jay Mankita is the founder of Playful Engineers, an arts-in-education company which fosters play-based learning, creativity, and open-ended engineering. Jay has spent years guiding students to learn by tinkering with mechanisms, solving design challenges, building problem-solving skills and sparking the imagination.
This is a free program for those who attend. Because of the limited number of students, you will be charged $25 upon registration. Your deposit will be refunded less credit card processing fees upon attendance or notification of inability to attend sent to mpastel@westportlibrary.org a week before the program starts AND if we can fill your spot.
This is a cumulative, 2-day workshop. Attendance at both sessions is recommended.
Questions? Contact mpastel@westportlibrary.org
Camp Explore is made possible by the continuing generosity of Roz and Bud Siegel.