STEAM Carnival

We signed up early for this event because it sounded so cool:  Science, Technology, Engineering, Art. and Math in one awesome carnival event.  Unfortunately, it was pricey and yet lacked much in the way of actual learning.  There were a few exceptions and some fun things to do, but overall it was super disappointing, demonstrating excellence in marketing rather than excellence in STEAM learning.  It even promoted new cartoons and a new movie, which seems the antithesis of getting out there and doing some hands-on learning.  The girls came up with a new acromyn meaning on the way home, "Systematically Taking Everyone's Available Money."  Sigh....

G trying virtual reality technology

Probably the best actual learning event: a cool robot demonstration from UCLA students

K trying a system that helps you learn how to play the guitar

 

Despite our overall disappointment, given the choice we'd do it again, if only to see Jeremy, K's favorite teacher (Shakespeare) of all time.  He's (obviously) multi-talented and used to motivate the kids to learn lines by promising to balance a chair on his nose...



A fun slack line.  But learning?

Again, super fun and a neat photograph of G navigating a course bounded by bright rubber bands stretched across it.  Useful should you need gymnastics to break into a high-security bank?  That's all I could think of in terms of relevance... looks like a scene from "Leverage."