Makerspace May at THL

So in the typical ebb and flow of owning a small business, we have a lot of open play time on the weekends in May (AKA, not very many birthday parties).

A few years ago this would have been a big bummer, but these days we are pretty busy during open play on the weekends (still typically less busy than during the week though!). And actually we secretly LOVE providing more weekend play hours for parents who work during the week. 

Even so, we wanted to try something new in May to bring people in. This idea has been with us for a while, so this seemed like the perfect time. Enter: Makerspace May! 

First things first-- what is a makerspace? The definition is broad and vague and encompasses many different setups. Essentially it is a room where various tools and materials are provided for people to come together and create a physical object.

Did you know that the Fort Worth library has a makerspace at the Northwest Branch? It has a 3-D printer, robotics equipment, a vinyl cutter, and much more. While that sounds **amazing** (I've never been!), it is not quite appropriate for our target age demographic. 

So, during some weekend hours during May (follow our social and subscribe to our email list to find out exactly when), our flex space will turn into a MAKERspace! We can't wait. 

In the THL makerspace, we will provide materials (cardboard, glue sticks, tape, craft sticks, yarn and more) and tools (scissors as well as cardboard saws from Makedo) and your kiddos can use these items to create whatever they come up with (and then they can take their creation home!). 

You might have seen us ask for donations last week. You guys have stepped up and brought in so much, but we still need: 

• medium or small cardboard boxes (clean, no food residue)
• paper towel tubes
• TAPE (washi, painter, masking, scotch... this is our #1 need right now!)
• cereal/kleenex boxes etc. 

You can drop by supplies any time, or just bring them when you come to participate in Makerspace May. Our goal is to offer this special event at no additional cost to our customers (in other words, it would be included in your playspace day pass or THL membership). This is why we have asked for supply donations, and why we are hoping to gather more this week. Tape and cardboard are our two biggest needs. 

Our makerspace will be open THIS weekend for the first time (10-6 on Saturday and 12:30-6 on Sunday) and we would love for you to come try it. My kiddos are 5 and 7, but we will have materials appropriate for younger kiddos too. This activity is best for ages three and up, with parent help. 

PS-- I bought these nifty cardboard construction toolkits for my kids to try at home, and we loved them so much that we now sell them at THL.  The kits come with a saw, a screwdriver, and screws. The saws cut cardboard but won't cut skin. 

(My kids had a BLAST making these creations at home so that I could snap a few pictures for this post.... perks of being THL kids for life!)

So, in conclusion: these materials will be out in the flex space during some weekend hours in May. Keep an eye on our social and emails to find out specific hours, but the makerspace will for sure be open this weekend (10-6 on the 4th and 12:30-6 on the 5th). 

We can't wait to see what your makers make!

Love,

Team THL