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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Coming Up: Maker Faire in San Mateo

This weekend you must head over to the Maker Faire. Science. Technology. Craft. Art. Creativity. As one visitor calls it: "It's a bit like a family-rated, local Burning Man but not in the desert and without naked people.'

This annual event is sponsored by Make magazine, and from what I've heard. It's a great place to take the kids. Lots of tinkerers sharing their innovations and creations. You can admire, you can learn and you can create.

The event features tons of kid-friendly activities. The Bay Area LEGO users group has a huge display, including a model train layout made entirely of LEGOs. Kids can build their own blinking electronic bugs. And in case you haven't done the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment at home, you can watch it here, and not have to clean up the mess. There are lots of robots, marshmallow shooters, magic mirrors, a human mouse maze,

For those who like to make things themselves, in the "how to" area of the Maker Faire, you an learn how to becomea  bee-keeper, how to turn toys into jewelry, how to make a robot from paper pipes, how to make a pick a lock (don't take your kids to this one!), how to make and launch a compressed air rocket, how to make 3-D animated sculptures, how to make soap, how to juggle, and lots more.

When: May 22-23, 2010 (Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Where: San Mateo County Event Center (near 92 and 101). Check here for directions and info on free parking lots.
Tickets: get them at the door for $30/adult, $10/kids 4-12, $15/students 13-20. Get them at participating stores and save $5 a ticket. Here's a link to ticket info and participating stores (which include AAA, Whole Foods, Whole Foods, Exploratorium, Radio Shack, Copperfield's Books and Cartoon Art Museum). Group and military discounts area available too.

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