When my son took his preschool application intelligence test (yes, seriously), the test administrator said, “He cooks with you, so he will likely score higher than other children.”
Turns out, intelligence tests incorporate examples of everyday objects that many kids no longer see—whisks, measuring cups, loose buttons, sewing needles, spools of thread. Necessary items for tasks done by hand.
Many young kids rehearse these jobs with plastic kitchen sets and tiny ironing boards but never quite graduate to reality when they’re old enough to help make dinner or sew a patch on ripped jeans. (No judgment: I haven’t been near a hot iron since seventh grade home ec.)
Enter Makerspaces, rooms in schools dedicated to kids’ innovative, creative pursuit of a practical end. Independently solving a real problem, not one manufactured by teachers, is empowering. These practical projects hone…
