This January, the Mobile Makerspace visited a new partner, Ophelia’s Place, in Albany. Ophelia’s Place is a safe and empowering space that offers programs and services for girls ages 10-18 years old.
Using confidence-building tools like cordless power cutters, low-heat hot glue
guns, and a leather hole punch set with a rubber mallet, the girls participated in our January Mobile Makerspace STEAM activity called Cardboard Game Design.
The participants displayed high levels of creativity and design-thinking skills as
they spent time helping one another engineer their imaginative games.
One participant made her own version of the Oregon Trail game. She added so many real-life challenges to her game like river crossings, navigating the Rocky Mountains, and dealing with disease while you tried to navigate your way to Oregon for the win. A player's life hangs in limbo with each roll of the dice.
She planned on making rules for her Oregon Trail game and playing with her
family members.
By the end of our visit, the girls were playing each other’s cardboard games that they had just created. Participants were laughing, smiling, and making memories with one another; we often forget when we are playing, we are learning.
