I looked at the calendar this morning and realized that summer is already half way gone and the kiddos start school in one month! How has the time gone by so quickly? Yet, we have already accomplished so much - including learning some cool, new stuff at the local Apple store!
As a parent, I'm always looking for fun things to do for my kids, and bonus points if it's free and gets them off the couch and out of the house for a couple hours!
This is not an ad, but a genuine appreciation for the free workshops that the Apple store offers for the younger generation. Both, my 10 year old son and 15 year old daughter, enjoy attending and learning different skills, using apps, they might not have otherwise explored on their own! Their workshops are an hour long, and their camp classes are an hour and a half - there are several offered so make sure to check them out! Registration is required!
Here are the workshops my kiddos have attended:
Art Lab For Kids: Make Your Own Emoji:
In this workshop kids learn fun ways to create their own emoji. They learn how to draw colorful faces and objects. They’ll get hands-on using the Procreate app on iPad with Apple Pencil to draw their emoji!
Apple Camp: Design Your Dream Inventions on iPad:
The kids get to think like inventors and follow the process from brainstorming to creating blueprint of their invention. Using iPad and Apple Pencil, kids work together to develop their ideas. Then, they get to turn their inventions into trading card–style GIFs using Keynote and Freeform. For these camp style classes return visits are encouraged so they get to bring more than one idea to life. This class is recommended for ages 8–12. In the camp they also receive a T-shirt to keep!
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Coding Lab for Kids: Code Your First App:
In this workshop kids get to code and create with Swift Playgrounds using iPad. They get to experiment with code and design an app using the About Me playground. They get to fully customize their app with fun fonts, background colors, Memoji, and anything else they'd like! It's so cool - and in the end they get to bring their app to life. This workshop is recommended for kids ages 10+.
Music Lab For Kids: Make Your Own Theme Song:
In this workshop kids get to create a theme song for their show, book, game, or anything else they choose using GarageBand on iPad. I was very impressed with this workshop - they covered rhythm basics, and kids got hands-on with experimenting with Smart Drums, adding pre-recorded loops, and remixing their songs. This workshop is recommended for ages 8–12.
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iPads and Apple Pencils are provided in each of the workshops for kids to use, but families are welcome to bring their own.
A couple tips:
➜ Recommended age is approximate. If you think your child will enjoy it and will be able to participate, they most likely will! We had a five year old girl participate in the Music lab and she did fantastic! So don't get discouraged if you think your little one is too young!
➜ When making a reservation, make sure you only add people who will be participating. I made a mistake by adding myself and three guests (my kids and husband) when only my kids were going participate. That way the spots don't fill up with people who don't participate, and others are not able to register since it's full! That being said, they do encourage parents to participate too, so if you're into it, definitely join!
Here are a few of the upcoming classes at Valencia Town Center. Click the class to learn more and register:
Thursday, July 13, 6-7pm: 👨🏼💻 Coding Skills: Getting Started with Swift Playgrounds
Saturday, July 15, 11am-12:30pm: 👩🏽💻 Apple Camp: Design Your Dream Inventions on iPad
Saturday, July 15, 4-5pm: 📱 Coding Lab for Kids: Code Your First App
Sunday, July 16, 2-3pm: 👨🏼💻 Coding Skills: Getting Started with Swift Playgrounds
Friday, July 21, 2-3:30pm: 👩🏽💻 Apple Camp: Design Your Dream Inventions on iPad
Saturday, July 22, 11am-12:30pm: 👩🏽💻 Apple Camp: Design Your Dream Inventions on iPad
Saturday, July 29, 11am-12:30pm: 👩🏽💻 Apple Camp: Design Your Dream Inventions on iPad
Sunday, July 30, 2-3:30pm: 👩🏽💻 Apple Camp: Design Your Dream Inventions on iPad
Make sure to check that a class is still on, since changes might happen. I hope your kiddos enjoy these STEM workshops as much as mine did.
Say Hi! to Candace, at the Apple store, from us at MacaroniKID!
