Amazing stuff to do and not just for "little" inventors. Did you know you can dissolve sharpie ink with alcohol and make T-shirt art? Or use antacid tablets to make a little lava lamp? Neither did I, but now we do, and with this book, now we can!

The book has a lot of contributors speaking from their respective areas of expertise, which gives it unusual breadth and depth for a collection of family (or classroom) activities. What it unfortunately does NOT have is an index, so if you're eager to make the aforementioned sharpie T-shirt, you have to search line by line through the table of contents and figure out that the title of the project is Marker Explosion. And that it's in the section named Concoct, along with the ice cream and yeast activities, not in the section named Design, along with watercolour and paint activities. I dithered about how many stars to deduct for this egregious omission. I settled on one star off, but it might not be enough to offset the frustration.

So let's say two stars down? But it absolutely gains one star back for its thoughtful approach to decluttering your child's life and space to make room for a studio-cum-laboratory to engage in the activities in this book. I don't think I've ever seen a children's activities/creation/experiment book that dealt with all the stuff that needs to happen before the fun stuff happens. Four stars it is, then! ( )

You’ve probably seen the pictures on Pinterest and maybe other social media, but perhaps didn’t realize the activities were Tinkerlab. What is Tinkerlab? Maybe you have heard about Tinkerlab classes or activity events in your area. What is the difference between Tinkerlab and loose parts? Minnesota even has Teen Tinker Lab events, and I’m sure events and classes are available in many states. If you want to know more, this book will make it easy to set up this kind of learning in your own home or classroom as a special event for for indoor recess. The book has 55 activities for children to explore their world with creative experiments with easy to find materials. ( )

I received an advance copy of the ebook Tinkerlab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors by Rachelle Doorley from NetGalley for review. I loved this book! As a parent, scout leader, and librarian, I will use many of the craft and experiment ideas in this book. The book is laid out VERY well, with instructions on how to use the book, ideas for creating your own tinkerlab and how to stock it. It also lists great ideas with nature, food, and recycled objects, showing photos each step of the way through the project. Beautiful photos! I would recommend this to crafty moms who are looking for something new to do with their kids, non-crafty moms as inspiration, art teachers, preschools, etc. Well done! ( )

Review featured here:
http://makerbridge.si.umich.edu/blog/140610-1013
http://www.fontichiaro.com/activelearning/2014/06/10/making-as-a-family-two-new-....

"Families with children under 5 might prefer Rachelle Doorley’s Tinkerlab: A Hands-On Guide for Little Inventors, based on the blog of the same name. Doorley, an art educator, has turned her family’s dining room into a studio for her two young children. Her book talks about great materials to have on hand, what to put within arm’s reach of a child (and what to do with your child instead), and art and science concepts that can be explored via “provocations” (interesting objects and materials left out) and household ingredients. While Maker Dad will guide families through the creation of projects designed by the author, Tinkerlab is more focused on creating space, culture, and climate for child-centered creating. Scattered throughout the book are interviews and influences from Doorley’s Palo Alto community, including interviews with staff from Stanford’s well-known Bing Preschool, its d.school (of which her husband is a leading figure), and excerpts from the work of renowned arts educator Eliot Eisner. If you’re a member of NetGalley’s digital galley service, Tinkerlab is still available for request!"

Review copy received from publisher via NetGalley.com. (86) ( )

$21.95