What’s on in Makerspace this term?
Makerspace is open before school and at lunchtimes. We can’t wait to see you there! Check out this video to see the exciting workshops we have planned for you in Term 3:
Category: 2025 Makerspace
-
Term 2, 2025
Makerspace is a fun collaborative space. A place to make new friends, try new equipment, a place be creative and curious. Students can come to Makerspace before school and at lunchtime. Each week we have an activity where you can learn, or do your own creating and making.
Week 1 – ANZAC Poppies
We made felt poppy pins to wear for ANZAC day.
In Australia and other countries of the Commonwealth, red poppies are symbol of remembrance. The flower reminds us of those who lost their lives or suffered in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. It’s a tradition that began in the early 1900s, after World War I.
During World War I, red poppies were among the first plants to bloom across the wasted battlefields of northern France and Belgium.
The flower gave Canadian medic, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, the inspiration for his poem, In Flanders Fields. McCrae wrote the poem while serving outside Ypres, Belgium, in 1915. McCrae’s poem recalls the red poppies on the graves of soldiers who died on the Western Front.
Week 2 – Origami Lotus
Creativity is blooming and our Makerspace students have been hands-on learning how to make beautiful origami lotus flowers! 🌸 This mindful activity encourages focus, patience, and fine motor skills—while also offering a calming break from the busy school day. It’s a great reminder that learning can be both fun and meditative, helping students build confidence, creativity, and resilience one fold at a time. 💫Students are also welcome to use equipment and resources in the Makerspace to work on their own projects – making a birthday card, drawing or tinkering.
Week 3 – Mother’s Day pop up cards
We made Mother’s Day cards that pop-open into a beautiful bouquet. This activity develops students’ scissor skills strengthening finger and hand muscles, building dexterity and fine motor skills, improving hand-eye coordination and developing focus and attention to detail. The cards were challenging and intricate, and the students rallied with perseverance and focus to achieve a great result.
Week 4 – Marble Run
Using cardboard, tape and tubes our student have been engineering Marble runs in Makerspace. With twists, turns, plenty of tape and team work our students have learned to protype, test, fail and improve to build some complex tracks developing our design thinking and collaboration skills.
Week 5 – RSPCA pet toys
This week we were upcycling household materials to make cat and dog toys for animals awaiting adoption at the RSPCA. Students and staff donated old jeans which were cut into strips and ‘box knotted’ together into strong chew toys for dogs. Using cardboard rolls the students made cute cat treat dispenser toys. We hope they make some ‘soon to be adopted’ cats and dogs very happy.
Week 7 – Scribble Bots
Makerspace students constructed robots using screwdrivers, wire strippers, a mini electric motor and felt pens. As the motor rotates, it vibrates, causing the pens attached to the motor to jiggle and circle across paper making patterns and scribbles. The students adjusted the legs and pen length on their robots to change direction and change the patterns. Lots of fun and lots of interesting patterns.
Week 8 – Dreamcatchers
Refining their macrame skills, student have moved on to a more challenging project. Combining, macrame, weaving and braiding – the students have created beautiful artistic dreamcatches.
A dreamcatcher is a special handmade object from some Native American and First Nations cultures. It is usually a willow hoop with a net or web woven inside. People often decorate it with feathers or beads.
Traditionally, dreamcatchers are hung above a baby’s cradle or bed. They are meant to offer protection. The idea comes from the Anishinaabe people. They called it “the spider web charm” or “dream snare.” It was a hoop with woven string, like a spider’s web, to protect babies.
Dreamcatchers became more widely known in the 1960s and 1970s. This was during a time when many Native American groups wanted to show their shared culture. (Source: Kiddle encyclopedia 8 June 2025 Dreamcatcher Facts for Kids)
Week 9 – Games and Puzzles
The students love doing puzzles and learning new games. We have an extensive collection of puzzles, board games, dice games and cards in the library for students to borrow and play. The students really enjoyed learning how to play Qwirkle, Genius Square and Mancala.
3D Printer
Exciting news! We now have a 3D printer in Makerspace. So many possibilities for creativity, tinkering, learning and growth.
-
What’s on in Makerspace this term?
Makerspace is open before school and at lunchtimes. We can’t wait to see you there! Check out this video to see the exciting workshops we have planned for you in Term 2:
-
Term 1, 2025
Makerspace is a fun collaborative space. A place to make new friends, try new equipment, a place be creative and curious. Students can come to Makerspace before school and at lunchtime. Each week we have an activity where you can learn, or do your own creating and making.
Weeks 1 – Giant Colouring and Games
Makerspace has burst into life in 2025 with loads of creative activities for students.
In our first week back students have been working on collaborative colouring, games and puzzles, activities to help them get to know our new students and reconnect with old friends.
Week 2 – Giant Windballs
We used cardboard boxes from our uniform shop and book deliveries, decorate square panels and made Giant Windballs. We used the MakeDo Screw and screwdrivers to join the squares in to pentagons and traingles to make huge spheres to decorate the Library. Makerspace is a great place to be creative and make new friends. Some of our new Year 5 students have collaborated with Year 6 students to make these spectacular Dragon puppets.
Week 3 – Waterfall Heart Cards
Galentines Day is always so much fun at AHS. We made Heart Waterfall cards in Makerspace to celebrate. This activity develops students’ scissor skills strengthening finger and hand muscles, building dexterity and fine motor skills, improving hand-eye coordination and developing focus and attention to detail. Making bright and beautiful interactive cards has been a very popular activity.
You can find the template @teachstarter
Week 4 – Gods Eyes
Makerspace students discovered the meditative and rewarding process of God’s Eye weaving! Originating from the Huichol people of Mexico, this beautiful craft involves weaving colourful wool around a crossed frame. We created unique and eye-catching pieces, while developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and patience. We also connected with a rich cultural tradition and learn about the symbolism behind these intricate designs.
Week 5 & 6 – Cardboard Critter Competition
We got creative with cardboard in Makerspace using our MakeDo screws and tools to make cardboard critters.
The challenge was:
- Construct a creature using carboard and just the reusable blue screws NO tape or glue!
- All materials must be recyclable.
- You can use pens and other recycle able materials to decorate your critter.
- You can use rubber bands to enhance the movement of your critter.
What a marvellous menagerie we’ve made. Our students are so creative!
Week 7 – Repeating Patterns
Makerspace students have been creating repeating patterns by drawing designs then folding the paper to ensure the design connects at the top and bottom of the page and either side. We then scanned the page into the photocopier in the library to create a jpeg. The free scan is them emailed to the student and they can create copy the design multiple times to create printable wrapping paper or wallpaper for their school device or mobile phone background.
Our creative and caring kids have also been making fidget bead geckos from string and beads. They independently followed instructions they researched and then taught the other Makerspace students ‘how to’! Wonderful collaboration and creativity.
Week 8 – Closing the Gap
Supporting our Human Rights Mercy Action students, the Library hosted a display of First Nations authors and a Tjanpi weaving activity on National Close the Gap Day, on 20 March. The display and weaving were part of a broader campaign by our Human Rights group students, shining a light on National Close the Gap Day this year sending a message to our community that we value health quality as a fundamental right for all.
Our Year 10 Religion classes have been studying First Nations Spirituality this term. As part of this curriculum, library lessons for Year 10 have focused on highlighting our First Nations research collection and providing immersive experiences for our students with Yarning Circles and weaving workshops. We followed a technique learnt from the Tjanpi Desert Weavers. The group is part of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council, and works with First Nations women in the remote Central and Western deserts to earn an income from contemporary fibre art.
Week 9 – Easter Egg Sprouts
Easter greens are sprouting this week in Makerspace. The tuckshop very kindly gave us all the egg shells left over from their delicious baking and we are decorating the egg shells and using them to grow spouts. Next week we will make baskets out of paper cups and take our egg sprouts home for Easter.
eek 10 – Easter Baskets
Easter Sprouts are growing in Makerspace and we have made a little Easter basket and butterflies for our egg sprouts, the basket is woven from a paper cup.
3D Printer
Exciting news! We now have a 3D printer in Makerspace. So many possibilities for creativity, tinkering, learning and growth.
-
What’s on in Makerspace this term?
Makerspace is open before school and at lunchtimes. We can’t wait to see you there! Check out this video to see the exciting workshops we have planned for you in Term 1: