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Whether you’re the parent of a teen or a younger child, you need to complement their book-based education with hands-on projects. These free websites have a collection of DIY crafts and projects for kids of all ages.
DIY home projects with parents are a great way to raise your kid to be a tinkerer. It’s never too early to start them on the path, so read the linked article to know the safest ways and best practices for inquisitive young minds.
1. DIY.org (Web): Projects, Challenges, and a Rewards System
DIY.org, a project by Little Bits, is a wonderful place to get your children started on the DIY journey. It comes with a rewards-based system. The child and parent have to both sign up for an account, so you can track what your kid is doing.
Set up your account and go to Patches. Patches are a bit like scout badges, wherein kids have to pick and finish an activity to earn the Patch. Kids can do that by unlocking different projects. Patches won’t be given out until the child uploads a picture of the finished project.
Patches are divided into skills like art, building, design, engineering, science, etc. Each skill has sub-patches, and each sub-patch has a number of projects or challenges available in it.
Pick a challenge, and you’ll find instructions on how to complete it, usually in the form of a video. Upload a picture or video of the finished task to earn one point. Three points earn you the patch, and six points mean that you’ve mastered the skill.
2. PBS Design Squad (Web): Detailed Guides from the Popular Show
The official website of PBS show Design Squad has a neat collection of DIY projects and ideas for kids in their Build section. Projects have difficulty levels and you can pick them from categories like art, building, machines, musical, party, toys, and vehicles.
Kids can follow the detailed instructional guides that are easy to understand. They can build anything from a confetti launcher for parties to a two-wheeled car toy propelled by a rubber band. These projects require materials that you’ll already have at home or should be easily available in any store.
Each project comes with a fun video demonstrating it, along with detailed step-by-step instructions and pictures that you can read online, or print out as a PDF. There are currently 51 DIY projects to try out. And if your child wants other distractions, check out the Watch, Design, or Games sections for ideas.
The popular 5-Minute Crafts YouTube channel is mainly for adults, but it has several sub-channels including one for children. Here, you’ll find projects and ideas that any kid can do with basic craft materials like glue, scissors, and so on.
The videos are usually large compilations of things you can do around one activity. For example, one video concentrates on DIY hacks and projects for a dollhouse, while another talks about simple and cute craft works to decorate phone cases.
Depending on the age of the child, you might need to help them with some projects. But any kid can do these once given the materials. Make sure you also check the video’s description, which has links to the different demonstrations in the video along with a link to jump to that timestamp.
4. KiwiCo’s DIY Blog (Web): Over 2000 DIY Projects for Kids and Teens
KiwiCo sells a subscription service where children get a monthly box for new hands-on art and science projects. While those boxes cost some money, the KiwiCo blog of DIY Ideas has plenty of free-to-try projects that you can do with your own materials.
The broad categories are arts and crafts, science, and holidays and events. The projects range from ideas that are suitable for children aged from three to 16 years. But there isn’t an easy way to sort them based on age.
But you can simply browse through the projects to find plenty of cool options. The titles and descriptions usually indicate which age-group it would be ideal for. You’ll find everything from creating your own Mobius loop with an easy printout to making art by melting crayons on canvas.
While all of this is free, an annoying pop-up will keep reminding you to sign up for the KiwiCo newsletter before reading the full article. There doesn’t seem to be an easy way to circumvent this, so you’ll have to sign up to see the projects.
5. STEMpedia (Web): Robotics and Science Projects for Teens
Is your child is interested in any of the STEM disciplines? You’ll need DIY projects that are a little more advanced than what other sites offer. STEMpedia has a host of projects for students looking to get hands-on experience with building something geeky and fun.
The projects at STEMpedia often require electronic materials like Arduino boards, LEDs, LEGO robotics kits, and other such items. You can also help out as some projects are a bit more advanced and need an adult hand.
But while they’re more complex, they are still fun and challenging. For example, you can learn how to build your own claw machine, or a simple maze-based video game, or even a phone-controlled 4-wheel robot.
All of these projects require a basic understanding of STEM disciplines, and you’ll probably need a computer handy too. In fact, it might be a good idea to find a local hackerspace because you might need help with some projects.
An all-rounded education is important for any child, and that means along with academic information, they need to also have hands-on practical projects. The above list of websites will ensure your child is eager to roll their sleeves up with art, mechanics, or science.
In fact, we’ve before you move to the websites, we’ve also got a curated list for you. Here are the top 10 geeky science projects you can do at home with your child. It’ll be educational while also leading to some parent-child bonding.
Private rocket launch startup Rocket Lab has succeeded in launching its ‘Make It Rain’ mission, which took off yesterday from the company’s private Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. On board Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket (its seventh to launch so far) were multiple satellites flow for various clients in a rideshare arrangement brokered by Rocket Lab client Spaceflight.
Payloads for the launch included a satellite for Spaceflight subsidiary BlackSky, which will join its existing orbital imaging constellation. There was also a CubeSat operated by the Melbourne Space Program, and two Prometheus satellites launched for the U.S. Special Operations Command.
Rocket Lab had to delay launch a couple of times earlier in the week owing to suboptimal launch conditions, but yesterday’s mission went off without a hitch at 12:30 AM EDT/4:30 PM NZST. After successfully lifting off and achieving orbit, Rocket Lab’s Electron also delayed all of its payloads to their target orbits as planned.
Later this year, Rocket Lab hopes to have a second privately owned launch complex fully constructed and operational, located in Virginia on Wallops Island. The company, founded by engineer Peter Beck, intends to be able to serve both U.S. government and commercial missions as frequently as monthly from this second launch site.
Remember, you can send me tips, suggestions and feedback to kate.clark@techcrunch.com or on Twitter @KateClarkTweets. If you don’t subscribe to Startups Weekly yet, you can do that here.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the co-working behemoth WeWork at this point but if not, here’s a quick primer: The real estate business posing as a “tech startup” offers office spaces to individuals and companies across thousands of co-working spots scattered across the globe.
Led by an eclectic chief executive by the name of Adam Neumann, WeWork made headlines this week after announcing its acquisition of building access app Waltz. The deal represents WeWork’s third M&A transaction of 2019, following that of spatial analytics platform Euclid and office management system Managed By Q. As is often the case, WeWork didn’t disclose terms of the deal.
In the last few years, WeWork has acquired nearly a dozen startups, making it one of the most — if not the most — acquisitive unicorn in the valley. Those acquisitions, a revolving door of venture capital investment and an eventual IPO are all part of WeWork’s world domination plan.
Adam Neumann (WeWork) at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2017
WeWork filed confidentially to go public this spring shortly after securing new capital from the SoftBank Vision Fund. Now, WeWork is preparing itself for Wall Street’s scrutiny by buying growth, investing in new technologies and doubling down on talented teams. As we’ve pointed out before, WeWork isn’t profitable nor anywhere near profitability. Rather, the company’s value (a laughably high $47 billion) is based on its potential future growth, not its current revenue. Making strategic investments to expand its revenue streams is good business.
WeWork could be a bit more choosy with its deals, though. I will never forget when it took a big stake in Wavegarden, a company that makes wave pools. Yes, really, that happened.
Now that WeWork has officially entered the pre-IPO stage, it must take a closer look at its leadership. The 9-year-old company has an all-male board, something Canvas Ventures’ Rebecca Lynn pointed out to me on this week’s episode of Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast. We were discussing a new lawsuit filed by former WeWork executives that alleges age and gender discrimination when she noted the troubling statistic.
For a company of that stature to not have appointed a woman to its board by now is mind-boggling. It may be one of the most highly-valued companies in the world on paper, but to succeed as a public company, it has more than one thing to figure out.
Anyways…
IPO Corner: The Real Real: The marketplace for luxury consignment jumped 50% Friday in its Nasdaq IPO. The company, led by founder and CEO Julie Wainwright, raised $300 million in the process.
Livongo: The digital health business submitted paperwork for an IPO this week, joining a long line of companies opting to go public in 2019. Livongo posted $68.4 million in revenue last year.
Postmates: Google’s vice president of finance Kristin Reinke joined Postmates’ board of directors this week in what was the latest sign the on-demand food delivery startup is prepping for an imminent IPO.
Data!
Social Capital co-founder Chamath Palihapitiya is spinning out a company from his venture capital fund-turned-family-office, TechCrunch has learned. The new entity, temporarily dubbed CaaS (short for capital-as-a-service) Technologies, will focus on providing data-driven insights to VC firms. We’ve got the scoop here.
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the now-defunct biotech unicorn Theranos, will face trial in federal court next summer with penalties of up to 20 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines. Jury selection will begin July 28, 2020, according to U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila, who announced the trial will commence in August 2020 in a San Jose federal court Friday morning.
Extra Crunch:
If you’ve been unsure whether to sign up for TechCrunch’s awesome new subscription service, now is the time. We’ve been publishing a lot of great content, here are my favorites this week:
#EquityPod:
If you enjoy this newsletter, be sure to check out TechCrunch’s venture-focused podcast, Equity. In this week’s episode, available here, TechCrunch editor Connie Loizos, Canvas Ventures general partner Rebecca Lynn and I discuss Brandless’ current dilemma and big rounds for Cameo and StockX.
U.S. President Donald Trump has handed Huawei a lifeline after he said that U.S. companies are permitted to sell goods to the embattled Chinese tech firm following more than a month of uncertainty.
It’s been a pretty dismal past month for Huawei since the American government added it and 70 of its affiliates to an “entity list” which forbids U.S. companies from doing business with it. The ramifications of the move were huge across Huawei’s networking and consumer devices businesses. A range of chip companies reportedly forced to sever ties while Google, which provides Android for Huawei devices, also froze its relationship. Speaking this month.
Now, however, the Trump administration has provided a reprieve, at least based on the President’s comments following a meeting with Chinese premier Xi Jinping at the G20 summit this weekend.
“US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei. We’re talking about equipment where there’s no great national security problem with it,” the U.S. President said.
Those comments perhaps contradict some in the US administration who saw the Huawei blacklisting as a way to strangle the company and its global ambitions, which are deemed by some analysts to be a threat to America.
President Trump has appeared to soften his tone on Chinese communications giant Huawei, suggesting that he would allow the company to once again purchase US technology https://t.co/4YNJCyKLTgpic.twitter.com/jr45f40ghP
Despite the good news, any mutual trust has been broken and things are unlikely to be the same again.
America’s almost casual move to blacklist Huawei — the latest in a series of strategies in its ongoing trade battle with China — exemplifies just how dependent the company has become on the U.S. to simply function.
Huawei has taken steps to hedge its reliance on America, including the development of its own operating system to replace Android and its own backup chips, and you can expect that these projects will go into overdrive to ensure that Huawei doesn’t find itself in a similar position again in the future.
Of course, decoupling its supply chain from US partners is no easy task both in terms of software and components. It remains to be seen if Huawei could maintain its current business level — which included 59 million smartphones in the last quarter and total revenue of $107.4 billion in 2018 — with non-US components and software but this episode is a reminder that it must have a solid contingency policy in case it becomes a political chess piece again in the future.
Beyond aiding Huawei, Trump’s move will boost Google and other Huawei partners who invested significant time and resources into developing a relationship with Huawei to boost their own businesses through its business.
Indeed, speaking to press Trump, Trump admitted that US companies sell “a tremendous amount” of products to Huawei. Some “were not exactly happy that they couldn’t sell” to Huawei and it looks like that may have helped tipped this decision. But, then again, never say never — you’d imagine that the Huawei-Trump saga is far from over despite this latest twist.