Exhibits, part deux

Ok, the other side of the exhibit was way more awesome - IMHO!

Update - have scanned the flyers into the i drive for staffing, cubelets, word winder, and BRM furniture.

* Came across an AWESOME looking new vendor with special needs storytime manipulatives (so good!) - there website happens to be in Pomona!

We play (phalate free, latex free, lead free etc.) they do a lot of work with European clients (who have higher standards than US). SUper, mega, cool sensory bin stackers, awesome whale rider.

www.e-weplay.us

* Also cool, giant word winder. Makes me think of Allen's great literacy word games. Think of a big wordpuzzle layout of letters and you use neon colored disks to spell out words. Not sure we want to buy (think it's several hundred), but it could be cool! Even if we make a sad version ourselves (taped down laminated paper) - could be a fun, new interactive literacy element for CAN.

* Tons (like I swear I saw 6 vendors) with makerspace stuff. Don't know much about their quality, but they looked cool. Figured I would mention in case anyone wanted to dig for further info on them.

- www.robotsLAB.com (cubelets are magnetic robot blocks that can create robots with no programming and no wires!)

- Ten80 Elementary Innovation Station 3D (3D printing station, story creation station)

- makercamp.com (free summer camp July - Aug = 6 weeks hands on fun)

* Keva and GYroscope were there (of course Gyroscope had our PAL images on their display). Keva is now selling card kits with directed play / learning - example spell out a letter, letter recognition, early literacy or build this specific design (brain processing 2d to 3d) with solution on the back.

* Visited Burgeon group - very nice booth, brought book mobile, had full scale play wall system. They have invested a lot of money, time in this booth set up. They also had a sample of the new book trailer/book bike at the booth. Very cute. Their work is colorful, clean, and appears to have many layers, however when you do get up close and it comes down to interaction, it feels like there is not as much to do (as a smart someone has pointed out before). For example at the cool book mobile - there is a small magnetic button panel, a steering wheel, and a lacing activity. I do think if we worked with them and gave them good ideas, it would be successful with their craftsmenship. But are we looking for someone with better ideas than us?

Other vendors include the standard furniture, database vendors, what I did see that I had not seen before was an artist alley with lots of graphic novel artists displaying both art and comics.

There was also a game set up (games!) with tables to play games, a set up of what the good games were, etc.