Making Makers

July 2, 2026

When I was a kid, a giant azalea bush stretched across our backyard, exploding into glorious pink blossoms in early May. In summer, it became something even better: a secret hideout that my sister and I named the Humble Abode. We hollowed out the dead branches behind the bush and dragged in little chairs and treasures and our dollhouse family. The Humble Abode barely qualified as a fort, and it wasn't even secret; I'm sure my parents knew when we were back there. But it was a great kids-only space.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about five summer lenses through which to plan summer: music, motion, making, nature, and food. Making—the lens for this week—reminds kids that they are not merely consumers of the world, but contributors to it. They can push value into existence. They can turn sticks, cardboard, fabric, tape, mud, blocks, gears, sand, and flour into something that wasn’t there before. Especially for younger kids, making with the hands gives the brain evidence: I did that. I made that. I can make things happen.

Summer is perfect for this because summer has time and room for mess. Pull out the science kits, the rocket kits, the LEGO bins, the soap-making sets that arrived at Christmas and then sat politely in the closet. "Upcycle" old boxes, fabric, toys, crayons, paint, buttons. Let your kids build backyard forts, fairy houses, marble runs, cardboard cities, obstacle courses, blanket tents, museum towers, and whatever else the day and their imagination suggest. 

Of course, glue will drip. Sand will migrate. The kitchen table may briefly disappear under invention. (If the clutter gets overwhelming, consider a trip or two to your local science museum or maker space to save your sanity.) After all, you can’t make omelets without breaking eggs. And you can’t make a maker without giving a child some space, some tools, some trust, and permission to begin.

—Debra Ross, publisher

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