Train Bridge - Week 5 - Boys & Girls Club - Mission Clubhouse

Who say's kids don't like to work hard??? 

This crew works so hard, they don't even realize they're working at all! Sshh... don't tell them ;) They may be working hard, but really they're playing hard while building. To sum this all up, let's stick with the highly scientific equation: (Tinkering = Building + Play). And this is one serious group of tinkerers!

So, to catch you up to speed, our bridge crew jumped into building the second set of towers that will support the opposite side of the bridge. I have a strong suspicion that they're able to get so much done because of their impressive teamwork...

Edwin cuts more pieces for the square frames Jazmine is assembling (left photo).

And in the meantime, every square inch of the train cars was getting measured!

We needed to use the measurements from the cars to draw out the side pieces. 

You may recognize the shell of the "speed taco" car train on your left...

Our shark train car team also made lots of progress. They learned how to use the jig saw to cut out the side panels. It was especially tricky because of all the teeth!

Alberto drills out the eyes.

Aaaahhh! I would be terrified to see that shark train arriving at a bart station...just sayin...

And not to be forgotten, our sign makers dedicated the whole session to perfecting their creations...

One side of the wood rasp is slightly curved, the other is flat. Ailey and Elina learned when to use either option while they smoothed down the edges on their signs.

And a final treatment with sandpaper...

Ailey's wooden duck. Is it still a sign? or will it float under the Golden Gate Bridge? I know it floats at least! 

I'm not sure what it will end up being, but I definitely want to find out! 

At the end of each tinkering session, we like to gather for a few minutes to debrief what we've learned and to share our progress. It's a great time to reflect on challenges we've overcome and to set intentions for our next day together.

Look at how much we can build when we work together! (and this is only part of the bridge...)

Can't wait till our next tinkering time together! And stay tuned - this bridge and train are being built fast!