Minecraft Workshops at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum

My eight year old loves Minecraft - can't get enough of it!  So when a friend told me that the Canada Aviation and Space Museum was having 3 hour Minecraft workshops in March, I signed him right up for one on Sunday morning.

As expected, he had a blast.  I sat down with him to get him to tell me a bit about the workshop from his point of view. Here's what we came up with together:

If you like Minecraft you should go to this workshop because you can work together with other people to build one big rocket ship. You go mining to get material and climb mountains to get quartz. 

The teachers will take a picture of the rocket ship with the players on it and they will put it on Facebook to compare other people’s rocket ships from when they did the workshop. (note from Lara: I went to their Facebook page and didn't see this but maybe they're coming. UPDATE:  here they are! ) 

It was fun to play with other players to build something.  It’s fun to see other people’s ideas and build something giant together to make something really creative, more creative than I could make alone. 

You can also make your own Golems which protect you.  Most of the kids at the workshop were great but some can be destructive and might destroy some of your work on the rocket and kill your Golems.  That part isn’t as fun.

I think this is a good workshop for anyone who likes Minecraft.  

Check out their web site - I know my son would be happy to attend again any time!

Here's a promo video from their web site if you want to see a bit more of what the workshop is like.

Minecraft, Turtles, and Star Wars...oh my!

by Karen

Something that no one ever told me about parenthood was that there would be a revolving door of interests that my child will commit every iota of passion his little body can muster into loving, before leaving them collecting dust in his room - or the back of his mind. 

In the last three years (he's almost 7), here's a rough idea of what we've run through:

1. Thomas the Tank Engine
2. Star Wars (this one has remained constant, because I am doing my best to raise him right)
3. DC Comics (so far, not much interest in Marvel)
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 
5. Sonic
6. Minecraft
7. Angry Birds
8. Skylanders
9. The LEGO Movie
10. All things Mario (of Nintendo fame)
11. LEGO Chima
12. LEGO Ninjago
13. Even LEGO Friends (because toys are not for boys and girls, they're for kids big and small)

It's possible I've forgotten more than what's on the list above. One of the best parts about my little man's passionate dedication to each of these interests is that he wants to inhale every morsel of information about them that he can. He's a fairly advanced reader and he loves nothing more than getting character encyclopedias, handbooks, and anything else he can get his hands on to read. He's also not above mixing his interests. I adore that Brandon's school allows him to bring these books every single day he wants. They are eager to encourage reading of any kind.

Two years ago, on Valentine's Day, I bought Brandon his first LEGO set. It was just a small generic set, but now he's hooked. He also got the idea from Evantube (careful showing this channel to your kids - it's a bit addictive) that he should keep his boxes, in pristine condition. 

So we do.

Ah, the things you'll do to foster the interests your kids have. (Velcro is your friend.)

It's fun and mind-dizzying and I know more about each of the things on that list than I ever wanted to know. Of course, fostering these interests along with a strong love of reading means that he's keen to educate me and his dad on every minute detail. 

Sounds fun, right?

So, what is your little minion into these days? :)

Karen Wilson is a mom to Brandon (6) and wife to Matt (who is glad to have a 6-year-old as a new excuse to play with toys...er, LEGO). Her latest claim to fame is having found enough LEGO studs to buy Lord Business in The LEGO Movie video game. She's thinking of starting a business - Stud Finder for Hire.