TSO-E Day 1: Tool Training

Parents dropped their children off for the first day of Tinkering School Overnight (TSO) camp this past Sunday, leaving kids in the hands of collaborators who will be working with the campers to build something bigger than themselves using power tools in the upcoming week.

Leaving a child can be difficult, but the opportunity is great, especially if the Tinkerer is excited to be at this particular camp.

Parents, Terry and Liz, drop their sons, Patrick and Tommy, off at Tinkering School Overnight camp.

“He’s been practicing his five rules for the whittling knife,” Liz said of her son Patrick who is attending camp with his younger brother, Tommy.

Practicing is a good start to a camp that will train kids between eight and 16-years-old how to properly use a pocket knife, drill, chop saw, and various other power tools.

Arrival day is just for that: having an opportunity to learn skills needed to successfully engage in TSO for the remaining week as Tinkerers take a collaborator defined theme, brainstorm the possibilities with their imagination at full speed ahead, and use power tools to build what they envision.

Megan hugs her daughter, Scartlett, goodbye while her other daughter, Anabel waits.

For the repeat Tinkering School camp attendees, camp is a must do every year albeit, in some instances, staying overnight instead of attending a day camp.

“My mom said the pictures at day camp are the happiest she’s ever seen her,” Megan said of her daughter, Scarlett, who attended Tinkering’s day camp last year.

After Megan and Scarlett hug each other goodbye, Megan begins to leave like the other parents who have left their children for the week.

“She’s a maker. She’s happiest when she’s creating something,” Megan says of her daughter.

With that, the Tinkerers set off to TSO’s build sites to be trained in using various power tools, a precursor to the collaborative building to come.

Check out the photo slideshow of our Tinkerers’ first day on the TSO build sites.