Presented in collaboration between The Rock Father, BOSEbuild and Life of Dad
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “summer slump” – that mid-year break between the end of one school year and the beginning of another. While I’ve long-said that kids don’t have enough of a summer break, even a matter of weeks is enough to break the cycle of learning, and that can be troubling. As parents, it’s up to us to make sure that those curious young minds are still learning during the summer months, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities are a great tool to have. For those with kids curious in how things work, BOSEbuild has just the project – and it’s so much more than simply “building a speaker.”
To get started, you’ll need an iOS device – either an iPhone or iPad – on which you’ll download the free BOSEbuild App. It’s not only the instructions for the project, but an interactive guide that goes beyond the build. Kids (and grownups) will learn about the relationship between electricity and magnets, and how the two come together to create electromagnets. It’s important to note that you’ll want to do your build close to a wall outlet to power your speaker.
At each step of the way, videos provide spinoff lessons, explaining what’s happening, and in some cases (“jumping” magnets), what just happened.
In the beginning, kids will be able to craft a simple, paper speaker using a magnet, copper coil, scissors and tape. As the speaker makes sound, the iOS device will “listen,” prompting young makers to the next step.
When it comes to the main event, kids won’t just be building a speaker like some throwaway projects – they’ll be building a quality, long-lasting Bluetooth speaker with true Bose sound. That means years of enjoyment following the 1-1.5 hour initial build time (and you can always disassemble and do it again).
And, with customizable LED lighting and speaker stencils, a kid can put their own personality into the visual look of their new speaker. While an iOS device is required for the build (as noted above), any Bluetooth audio device (including Android) should be able to rock some tunes through the finished speaker.
BOSEbuild is a project that’s both fun and educational, and Rock Father-approved for learning this summer and beyond! Check out https://build.bose.com/ to get a kit of your own.
