Home Program Innovation Workshop
The Innovation Workshop is Park Day School’s makerspace, where students design, build, and test ideas using real tools and materials, including wood, cardboard, electronics, laser cutters, and 3D printers.
Students use the Innovation Workshop from TK through 8th grade. In Lower School, they have dedicated time in the workshop for hands-on engineering and design projects connected to classroom learning. In Middle School, students use the space as projects require across subjects. The Innovation Workshop elective gives interested students additional time to design, build, and test ideas.
At the heart of Park Day School’s Design+Make+Engage program, the Innovation Workshop is woven into how students learn. Developed in partnership with Harvard’s Project Zero, the program helps students build skills for making and collaboration. Students practice adaptability, thoughtful risk-taking, and seeing problems from multiple perspectives.
Transitional Kindergarten
For months, TK students were on a mission: get a squirrel to visit their classroom. What started as curiosity under the oak trees grew into a full class project, as students gathered acorns, made signs for the community, and built trails. In the Innovation Workshop, they designed and constructed a squirrel house—sketching ideas, choosing materials, and building together to bring their plan to life.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students explore how things move by designing and building “blocky walkers,” experimenting with hinges, joints, and different types of motion. They use drills and saws to construct their walkers with wood, then add fabric details before bringing them to life in a puppet show back in the classroom.
1st Grade
1st graders explore how things are made through “break-apart” sessions in the Innovation Workshop, where they take apart everyday objects to see how systems work together inside. They examine materials, test how parts function, and repurpose pieces to understand design and engineering from the inside out.
2nd Grade
2nd graders are challenged to design a creature that helps share the magic of books with the Park Day community. They sketch ideas and share designs with classmates before collaborating to construct a group Book creature, testing ideas, combining materials, and building prototypes. The finished creatures are installed around campus for the community to enjoy.
3rd Grade
3rd graders write original songs as they explore message music and its role in storytelling and the Black Panther Party. They design and build their own record players in the Innovation Workshop, exploring how electricity and circuits work. Students begin learning to code using Scratch and use Makey Makey systems to turn physical materials into triggers for digital sound, so their music can be played through interactive, student-coded circuits.