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GUILD programme

Spark Workshops

Playful, hands-on workshops that ignite curiosity in young inventors aged 13–17 through nature-based challenges and intro maker skills.

Ages 13–17 · Half-day to short course

  • No experience needed
  • Small groups with a mentor
  • A build to take home

Where invention begins

Spark Workshops are the easiest first step into the GUILD world. In a single playful session, young people get their hands on real tools, take on a nature-inspired challenge, and walk away with something they built themselves — and a spark of “I can make things.”

We keep groups small so every child gets attention, and we start from zero: no coding, no prior maker experience, no pressure. Just curiosity, materials, and a friendly mentor.

What a session looks like

  • Warm-up challenge — a quick, hands-on puzzle drawn from the natural world.
  • Make — guided building with real maker materials (circuits, fabrication, or nature-based kits depending on the theme).
  • Show & tell — everyone shares what they made and what they’d try next.

Built on WISE

Even in a short session, the WISE framework is present: we look after wellbeing by keeping it joyful and low-stress, practise inclusion so every child belongs, root the challenge in sustainability, and celebrate the entrepreneurial spark of turning an idea into a thing.

Spark Workshops are a perfect taster before stepping up to The Invention Studio.