2016 Funshops

Joyful Sky Gazing

Throw away your star charts and red flashlights! Join us for an unforgettable star-gazing workshop that will change how you see the sky forever. Humans have a natural curiosity about the sky. Nothing is more enjoyable than looking up and seeing familiar patterns. Come to our funshop where we will introduce and demonstrate a remarkable new device that will make learning those patterns intuitive. Everyone, kids and adults, can find joy in watching the sun, moon, stars and planets. We will help you unlock the secrets of the sky!

Hosted by Tom VanDamme of Horizon Globe.

Earlybird Morning Run/Walk

I’ll be doing a run walk combo. Grab a friend who travels at your pace and meet in lobby for a casual morning breath of fresh air outside, exploring the immediate neighbourhood. Approx 30 mins followed by some stretching and maybe a coffee together. Friday 7:45 am.

Hosted by Shonna Morgan.

Learn and Play Dungeons & Dragons

D & D is a really great way to get to know people and make bonds. It can feel a bit difficult to get the hang of it when you first start, but I will walk you through it to teach everyone the very basics of the game and how it works. We’ll go through some lore, some of the mechanics, and some of the history of the game. We’ll also be designing character sheets and focusing on getting in to the imaginative mindset of the game.  And hopefully if people like it enough, we can play through a small campaign on the side throughout the conference.

Hosted by Sadie Crane.

Monster Mashup

Make your own Frankensteiny softie from our cache of critters! We’ll cut and sew pieces from thrifted and donated stuffed animals and give them a new life as something much cuter/creepier/kookier than they’d ever dreamed of being! It’s kind of ridiculously fun. Pictured is Charming, the first one we ever made. He includes pieces of an orca, Pooh, Eeyore, a shark, a monster, a lion, a frog prince, and more…

BRING, IF YOU LIKE:

• One or more stuffed animals to cut up, if you have any. Donations appreciated. We’ll bring a big pile, too.
• Someone who’s handy with scissors and a needle if you’re very little and not ready for those yet.
• Some extra silliness to share with your softie.

Hosted by Leonard+Moss Family.

Harry Potter Trivia Session

Calling all Harry Potter fans! We want to do a Harry Potter trivia game. We are hoping to focus more on the having fun / inclusion side, not so much on cutthroat competition. We will strive to make this fun for participants at all levels of trivia knowledge. If people want to compose some questions to contribute to play that would be great. (Please be clear if your question is specific to the books or the movies.)

Hosted by Larkin Hamilton & Emile Snyder.

Making Paper Boxes, Origami-Style

Learn how to turn two ordinary (or not-so-ordinary) pieces of paper into a lidded box perfect for trinkets, treats, or tchotchkes. Once you know how, you can make a box whenever you need one, with any suitable paper, no glue or tape required (and if you can tear along a fold, you don’t even need scissors).

We’ll provide paper and some decorating options.

Attention Fairy Godparents: Paper boxes make great gift wrap for your smaller FGP gifts! No card stock or fancy scrapbook paper at hand? No problem! Visitor guides, magazine covers, and tourist maps make spiffy boxes!

Hosted by Susan Holen & Teo Cochlin.

Love to Sing!

Love to sing? We will learn to sing 3 choruses we have learned at Jam Camp, first individually, and then we’ll sing them in rounds! Here’s the lyrics to learn in advance!

Song 1
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

Song 2
O when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
O Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Song 3
I’m gonna sing, sing, sing
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance
I’m gonna sing I’m gonna dance, Hallelu…..
When the gates are open wide
I’ll be standing by your side
I’m gonna sing, I’m gonna dance, Hallelu…

Hosted by Shonna Morgan, Aliana & Viola Cerullo, and YOU!.

Trimet to Portland’s PSU Farmer’s Market

Take a 20 minute bus ride over the historic Steele Bridge and through the heart of downtown Portland to the flagship Portland Farmer’s Market on the campus of Portland State University. Spend 1 hour 15 mins exploring the bounty of this huge market, enjoying the playground close by, and sampling some of the delicious prepared foods from the best local businesses Portland has to offer. We will take the streetcar back to the hotel, over the glorious new Tilikum Bridge and through the industrial inner East Side. Cost is $2.50 per adult, $1.25 for children, children under 7 are free – please have exact change in cash (I will carry some change, too, just in case). We will meet in the lobby at 8:50am and leave promptly at 9:05am. We will arrive back to the hotel around 11:30am.

Hosted by Kelly Francois.

Making Foam Props

Props are essential for movies, theater, cosplay, and are just plain fun to create. I have been making prop weapons and armor for use in my own films for about three years now and would like to think that I have garnered enough knowledge to teach a few things about them. I am by no means any sort of expert on props but I believe I can introduce you to some of the basics involved, including where to get materials, painting, techniques, and most of all, FUN! Most of the props I make are from the video game series Halo and are mostly made out of EVA foam floor mats and EPS insulation panels.

Since this will be a more advanced funshop, using hot glue guns and extremely sharp blades, I’d suggest an age of around 10 and up. Younger kids are welcome to attend with an adult to help them.

Hosted by Aidan Munoz.

The Basics of Lego Animation

The aim of this funshop is to equip you with the skills and knowledge to make your own Lego animations – AKA Brickfilm. Included topics are: set design, lighting, exploring software and hardware, tips and tricks, special effects and editing. Since this will be a more technical funshop, I’d suggest an age of around ten and up, but animation can be fun for all ages so anyone is welcome to attend.

Hosted by Aidan Munoz.

Cool Awesome Fun Trivia

Come to this funshop if u know waaaayyyyy too much about history, <insert random category here>, or whatever else I choose. You can:

• Annoy your teammates by blurting out what you think is the right answer, which, by the way, isn’t.
• Win a random, useless, and worthless prize if you win. Good for you!
• Learn something weird.

Do you for some reason know when the language of the bees was first discovered or something like that? Then come here and get dragged by me. (the language of the bees was discovered in 1927)

Hosted by Annabel Paulson.

BARK, MEOW, MAKE BEDDING & DONATE FOOD FOR OREGON HUMANE SOCIETY

Come join us and learn how to make quick and easy animal beds you can donate to your local shelters. And please bring animal food donations of canned and dry food, moneys, pet treats, and/or toys! All items and proceeds will be donated to the local shelter, the Oregon Humane Society. Then sign our card, and sit on down and make an animal bed or two. It’s easy! There will be some fleece remnants available, but it would be full of awesome if you brought some of your own, too. Scissors are also helpful! Johann’s has fleece remnants very cheap that can be easily made into much needed bedding for cats and dogs as they stay in the shelter, waiting for their forever homes. We can bring a little bit of “home” to them by giving them soft beds. Come join us and bark, meow and purr for the animals.

Hosted by Miriam Mason & Bean Paulson.

Beginning Acrylic Canvas Painting

Come explore acrylic painting. We be painting a small canvas and learning beginning set-up and painting tips..
1hr. duration

Hosted by Spramani Elaun.

Make and Take Paperdolls

With the help of a handy-dandy die cut machine, we’ll make paper dolls of all varieties! These make great fairy godchild gifts! All supplies will be provided, but if you have pretty paper or stickers to share, feel free to bring them!

Hosted by Carolyn Groves Winkler.

Campfire Inspired Singalong

We won’t actually have a campfire, but join Carolyn for an hour of singing favorite songs we all know, like Old MacDonald had a Farm, Clementine, Moonshadow, Wheels on the Bus, and This Land is Your Land. All voices and additional instruments welcome!

Hosted by Carolyn Groves Winkler.

Paper Crafting

Claire likes to make mini paper envelopes and Mary likes to make paper fortune tellers. Come make things out of paper with us and show us your creations!

Hosted by Claire Shawley & Mary King.

Meet and Greet for Newbies

We will help everyone attending the conference for the first time understand the flow of the conference, maneuvering logistics, tips on getting your needs met and answer any questions you might have about how to make the conference work for you and your family. Or if you’re not a newbie, come share your favorite conference tips.

Hosted by Kristin Lake.

Woodworking and Architecture

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at being an engineer, architect, or designer? Then come on down and build with us! We’ll be using real tools, real materials, and real plans to get real results building a model structure. We’ll be using Hands 4 Building Model Projects. 

Hosted by Baila & Dennis Scott  of Hands 4 Building. 

Catch!

“Catch!” simplifies juggling by paring it down to the one ball moves that jugglers combine to create complex tricks. Start as a pre-juggler and end as a show-off who can manipulate 3 balls in complex ways. Suitable for any age that can pick up and hold a ball.

Hosted by Rhys Thomas of Jugglemania! 

Learn Magic: The Gathering

We will be teaching kids to play Magic: The Gathering.

 “Expansive worlds, explosive spells and extraordinary creatures await you. Magic is driven by riveting stories, populated with Planeswalkers – powerful mages with the ability to travel between worlds. Discover the many tales of Magic.” 

Hosted by Adam Delean-de.

Mom & Dad Makeovers at the LIFE is Good Salon

Bring your parents to the LIFE is Good Salon for a makeover! Let their faces be your palette. This is your opportunity to transform their look with makeup and a new hairstyle. What would your dad look like with blue eyeshadow and rosy cheeks? How about your mom in in up-do with shiny red lips? How they look is up to YOU! We’ll bring gobs of cosmetics and hair accessories so you can discover your inner stylist.

Hosted by The Betts Family.

Pokemon Go Walk

Join us on a Pokemon Go walk and discover (or revisit) Pokestops and Gyms, hatch eggs, set lures, and catch some awesome Pokemon. Meet new friends! Everyone welcome! We’re planning a happy collaborative walk with friendly rivalries, if you belong to a different team. Wear your Pokemon swag if you like and bring whatever makes you comfortable on a walk. Bring your lunch or a snack! Let’s meet in the first level Foyer at the Ballroom Entrance at 1 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then let’s do it one last time at the picnic on Monday!

Hosted by Senna Bentley & Eliot Cyphers.

Improv Theatre Games

Join us to learn and play some quick, easy Improv games. No theater experience is needed, as we will also teach some basics to Improv. A few of the games that we will play are: Freeze Tag, I’m a Tree, and Kitty Wants a Corner.

Hosted by Paige Murphy, Maya Huck & Olivia Smith.

Two Rooms and a Boom

Want a fun way to meet new people? Two Rooms and a Boom is a social party game of hidden roles, deceit and deduction along the lines of Werewolf or The Resistance, but it’s super quick (~15mins) and works best with 10-30 people. Each player gets a card assigning them a secret role: Red Team has the Bomber who will explode at the end of the game, Blue Team has the President who needs to be kept safe.

Players are split randomly into 2 “rooms” (or corners of a room) with no idea who’s on their team – and this is where the social part kicks in. You’re given a few mins per round to chat people up and try and uncover who your teammates, enemies and allies might be, then decide which “hostages” to exchange to the other room. Lie, scheme and strategize all you want. At the end of 3-5 rounds time runs out! If the Bomber explodes in the same room as the President, Red Team wins. If the President is safe in the other room, Blue Team wins.

We’ve had devious kids as young as 6 catch on to this game, but it’s usually recommended for ages 10+. Non-readers can memorize the roles, or team-play with a reader till they catch on.

Hosted by Gillian Mayer, Effie Mayer, Erich Isocki, Autumn Isocki & Alex Bucknum.

ATC-Artist Trading Cards

What are Artist Trading Cards? Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are simply pieces of art that are made out of cards measuring 2.5”by 3.5”. You can buy special paper already cut to this size, or better yet, simply use sturdy paper you already have at home. Old file folders, card stock, greeting cards – any paper that is not flimsy – can be cut to the right dimensions and used as an ATC. Think about baseball trading cards and look for paper about that weight. Or, be creative and use materials other than paper. Just keep to the 2.5” x 3.5” size. Once you have your 2.5 x 3.5” card, what you do with it is up to you. Draw on it, paint, collage, sew, embellish, write words.

In an ATCs funshop, all of the participants share materials, themes, techniques and ideas with others in the funshop to make unique ATCs. And we always schedule time for trading/swapping finished cards too!

ATCs Supplies needed from Home for this Funshop:

Cardstock-Cut to the 2.5″x 3.5″ size and leftover scraps.
Colored paper of various weights and sizes.
Old gift wrap, Magazines and Catalogs for collage cards.
Fabric scraps, Buttons and other sewing notions for
embellishment.
Watercolor paints, Crayons, Colored Markers, Gel Pens, Colored Pencils etc.
Scissors, Paper Punches, Glue, Tape, etc.
And any other Arts and Crafts supplies that you would like to share(Most Scrapbooking Supplies work well for making ATCs).

*Even if you don’t participate in the ATC funshop, we would really appreciate donations of art supplies from everyone!*

Hosted by Erika Davis-Pitre.

Finding Center Amidst Chaos: Meditation Practice for Unschoolers

Being mindful and present is essential to someone who chooses to forgo society’s prepackaged mainstream developmental offerings in exchange for the joyful honor of creating their own wonderful life. This session invites parents, teens and young children of unschooling families to practice finding center amidst the chaos of unschooled life. Topics include establishing a meditative practice, basics of meditation, support tools and most importantly real time practice with the ones you love. Babes in arms welcome, come as you are, ready for more calm, focus and peace.

Hosted by Kristen McKee.

Cosplay Extravaganza!

A funshop where everyone can wear a cosplay. Talk about anime, TV, books, movies, etc. There will be a fashion show, showing off the wonderful cosplays. And people can learn the basics of cosplaying.

Hosted by Addy Abrahams.

Children’s Storytime

Stories, songs and games especially suited for the Unconditional and Unschooled. Everyone is welcome with the knowledge that content will be geared toward the younger set (4-7).

Hosted by Kristen McKee.

Drawing Club

Come hang out, sketch a little, show off your sketchbook, or join in one of the our drawing challenges (for example-3 marker challenge, themed challenge, or timed challenge). Digital and traditional artists welcome.

Hosted by Renita Keatley & Olivia Smith.

Self-Publishing for Fun and Massive Profit

I self-publish for a living. I’ll talk about the industry, what it really takes to be an author these days, and how you can do it too. I’ll answer any questions you have. My pen name is Lisa Ladew. Steamy romance, so don’t pick up one of my books if you don’t already read that kind of stuff.

Hosted by Lisa Weber.

Smash Brothers for WiiU Tournament

Double Elimination
4 minute format / 2 stocks
Best of one
Omega stages only
No custom characters
Wii Remotes, nunchucks and game cube controllers provided
Two tournaments; 12 and under, and an all ages.
Pre-registration at the same time as bag/info pick up
Expect the tournaments to run longer than one hour. Last year it was very popular! It lasted almost four hours!
Prizes to be won!

Hosted by the Chapman/Knight family & the Cabatic family.

Drinking Cup Mania

Join us to use piles of plastic drinking cups to have fun. We will…
* go bowling using the cups as pins
* make cup crafts
* build pom pom launchers for a basketball style game
* carnival style games (penny toss, clothes pin drop)
* good old fashioned building towers
* whatever else we can think of!

Hosted by Misty Murphy.