Bay Area Discovery Museum

Name: Bay Area Discovery Museum

Address: 557 McReynolds Rd

City: Sausalito

Phone: 415-339-3900

Capability: Vinyl cutting

Webpages: http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/fablab

Description: The Early Childhood Fab Lab at the Bay Area Discovery Museum consists of laser cutters, a vinyl cutter, Shop Bot, and 3D printers. We at the Bay Area Discovery Museum are the first to envision this model for the youngest learners (ages 3-8) to prepare them for a future they cannot yet imagine, to find solutions to problems we can’t anticipate, and to provide access to this learning for all children. This Fab Lab is a prototype for other early childhood Fab Labs to learn from and replicate. The goals of the early childhood Fab Lab include providing quality STEM experiences that empower children as thinkers and problem solvers, invite children to imagine, test, and refine solutions to improve the world, foster curiosity, persistence, and deep understanding, promote shared learning between children and adults, and produce deep content outcomes. Children, their families, and teachers will access the Fab Lab primarily through workshops (ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours). During the week, these workshops will be offered to preschools and elementary schools as facilitated field trips. On the weekends, they will be offered to families as part of our public programs. In addition, summer camps with children ages 7-10 will offer week-long immersive experiences in the Fab Lab.

Activity status: Active