Makerspace

From Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5, every student at Touchstone takes part in Makerspace - a vibrant hub where curiosity, creativity, and collaboration come to life. In this hands-on learning environment, students practice the habits of real engineers, inventors, and problem-solvers.

Makerspace is built on the STEAM and engineering design process: students are encouraged to ask questions, imagine possibilities, plan solutions, build prototypes, test their ideas, and refine their designs. By making, they connect knowledge from different subject areas and apply it in new, interdisciplinary ways.

What makes Makerspace so exciting for kids is the freedom to explore. Instead of following a prescribed recipe, students are challenged with big questions and open-ended projects such as: “What role do simple machines play in Rube Goldberg machines? Explore by designing a chain reaction contraption to complete a simple task in the most creative way possible.” Students brainstorm, sketch, test, and adjust—learning that “failing forward” is an important part of discovery. The room often buzzes with energy, laughter, and the occasional cheer when a prototype finally works.

Makerspace alternates between open exploration weeks and STEAM challenge weeks. During challenge weeks, students are sometimes given specific materials and asked to solve a real-world problem. They cycle through the engineering design process—planning, creating, testing, improving—and then present their designs to peers. Along the way, they learn resilience, teamwork, and how to see setbacks as opportunities. Other weeks, the children explore Lego robotics, coding with Beebots and/or Dash robots, and 3D printing using Tinkercad. 

Most importantly, Makerspace empowers students to see themselves as innovators and creators. It’s a space where imagination takes shape, persistence is celebrated, and every child experiences the thrill of turning ideas into reality.