Raise the Doodled Flag for Flag Day!

What is Flag Day?

  • 3d pen doodled flag
  • 3d pen doodled flag
  • 3d pen doodled flag

Flag Day celebrates the day that the United States adopted its flag, and that historic event took place on June 14th of 1777. President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized June 14 as Flag Day in 1916. Later on in 1949, National Flag Day was further established via an Act of Congress. This year, in celebration of Flag Day, learners can create their very own flags, explore their symbolic significance, and even create a unique flag to represent their identity.

Use our free flag stencil to create a model of your country’s flag, as well as flags of other countries. To take the learning further, dive into our critical thinking questions below.

3Doodler Start Tip: When using the 3Doodler Start pen, you can shape and mold the plastic as it extrudes to create waves in the shape of the flag.
3Doodler Create+ Tip: If you’re using the Create+ pen, you can Doodle your flag flat, then use a heat gun or hair dryer to create waves in the flag after it has hardened.

Critical Thinking Questions for Flag Day

  • Can you explain how symbols relate to objects and actions, and how depictions on flags can represent deeper meaning? Provide examples.
  • Why do countries have flags?
  • Why are flags important to countries?
  • What do you think the different colors and symbols of your country’s flag represent? Research the flag’s meaning to see if you were correct in your hypothesis.
  • If you were to create a flag to represent your identity, what would it look like? What colors and symbols would you include, and why? Design a flag to represent yourself and your own identity, then bring it to life with the 3Doodler pen.

Have Fun with our Flag Day Bubble Wand Webinar!

  • 3d pen doodled Japan flag
  • 3d pen doodled Japan flag

If you’re looking for a fun, educational way to celebrate Flag Day, be sure to tune into our webinar today at 1pm EST on YouTube! In the webinar, you will learn about Flag Day, engineer your very own flag-shaped bubble wand, then test it out! You can learn more about the rest of our webinar series here.

Are you Doodling a flag for Flag Day? We want to see! Be sure to share your creations with us on social media.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #FlagDay

Posted in EDU

Summer Learning Inspiration from Workshop Leaders

Who’s ready to learn and play this summer?

Change is in the air! As summer camps and enrichment opportunities go virtual, let hands-on learning come to you. Gain inspiration and insights from our summer workshop leaders to engage young learners anywhere in the world. No matter where you are this summer, get ready to create!

Morse Institute Library MakerLABRobin Fosdick, Natick, MA

Courtesy of Morse Library Makerlab
  • Floral hair clip with 3D pen art
  • 3D pen art: Person holding plant in a string ball.
  • 3D pen art of

At the Morse Institute Library, we use 3Doodler Pens in three recurring MakerLAB workshops. 3Doodler Start and Create+ pens are an important part of our MakerLAB programs for Teens (ages 11-18) and Tweens (grades 5-7). The 3Doodler pens merge art and technology, are easy to use, and encourage creative expression. It’s so exciting to watch a teen pick up a 3Doodler pen for the first time ever, then leave the workshop with a fabulous model they created themselves!

3D pens are super popular with our Teen MakerLAB & Tween MakerLAB. Some like to trace a design from a stencil, while some prefer to freehand their own creations. Awesome teen creations include a working barrette and an orb with a tree on it (inspired by iconography from The Little Prince).

MakerLAB Advanced Creative is offered to teenagers who’ve attended at least five 3D pen workshops. This program gives older teens a chance to create more complex projects. In just six hours, Mike A. created a large deer head by with a 3Doodler pen using a stencil kit.

Summer Camp Tips
  • Teach 3Doodler pen basics starting with tracing stencils, then work on freehand projects.

  • Challenge experienced Doodlers to create a larger, more complex project of their choice.

  • For advanced Doodling techniques with the Create+ pen, check out these tips.

Two Rivers Gallery MakerLab 2RGBriana Sadler, Prince George, BC

Courtesy of Two Rivers Gallery
  • Woman & child at table with 3D pen art
  • Children creating blue and orange 3D pen art at Bc Makerlab.
  • Airport travelers showcasing 3D pen luggage art
  • Boys creating cell phone 3D pen art at Bc Makerlab

3Doodler pens have proven to be popular educational tools that we use for many of our Two Rivers Gallery MakerLab programs, including school programs, day camps, adult programs, and even staff team building! The following are just a few of the ways that we have incorporated this tool into our STEAM programs.

Maker Experience is a full day STEAM event where we host 75 students from School District 57 at Two Rivers Gallery for a full day of classes covering 3D printing, 3D pens, robotics and more! 3Doodler pens are a great way to embrace technology, engineering, and art. Students use creative thinking and problem solving by using  3Doodler pens to create things like houses, spaceships, and sea creatures.

Day Camps routinely have a 3Doodler element. During a dragon and knights focused day camp, we encouraged learners to create a hand-drawn stencil of their dragon. Using 3Doodler pens, students then Doodled over their drawings, then “welded” all the pieces together with the extruded filament to make their 3D dragons!

Outreach Events with 3Doodler pens are always a hit! The Exploration Place, a local museum, held a celebration of ecosystems and we brought our 3Doodler pens. Students used the pens to build models of their own environmental ecosystems.

Summer Camp Tips
  • Invite students to pick a house, spaceship, or creature of their choice, and challenge them to create a model of it with the 3Doodler pen.

  • Offer themed days and have learners make a custom stencil to celebrate the theme. Themes could range from dragons and knights to superheroes, animals or favorite book characters. Encourage students to draw their design, Doodle the pieces, then assemble their 3D model with extruded plastic.

  • Challenge students to pick an ecosystem of their choice, then make a model of it using 3Doodler pens.

Do you have great ideas for summer learning activities? Our community wants to know what you’re planning. Share your projects with us on Twitter!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #SummerCamp #SummerSTEM #SummerSTEAM #WhatWillYouCreate

Images in slideshow 1 courtesy of Morse Library Makerlab, which is generously sponsored by MathWorks. Images in slideshow 2 and the primary featured image in the blog and newsletter courtesy of Two Rivers Gallery MakerLab 2RG, which is charitably supported by the Prince George Yellowhead Rotary Club.

Posted in EDU

Quick, Creative Gift Ideas to Thank Your Teacher

Let creativity shine this Teacher Appreciation Week!

It’s been a challenging time for both students and teachers these past few months. As remote learning took center stage, teachers everywhere revisited lesson plans and identified unique ways to reach their students and keep them learning. Teachers are preparing the learners of today to be the leaders of tomorrow, and we are all so grateful for this gift they share with the world!

Take time this week and think about what your own teacher has meant to you. Consider a creative way to show your gratitude with a thoughtful gift that you can make. Thank a teacher in your life with these fun projects and create the perfect gift!

K-8th Grade

Two small stuffed animals: 3D pen art on table.

Desktop Goblins to Hold Office Bits and Bobs

3Doodler Start Project

Help your teacher organize their paperclips, rubber bands, and more with these adorable desktop goblins! Follow our easy tutorial for them here.

3D pen art: Bookworm toy with glasses on book

Bookworm Bookmark for your Teacher’s Current Read

3Doodler Start Project

Does your teacher love reading? Of course they do! Enhance their reading experiences by making the best bookmark they will ever have. Use our stencil to get started.

3Doodler: Romantic gift with heart-shaped box and pen

A Geometric Heartfelt Note of Gratitude

3Doodler Start or Create+ Project

Write a note of gratitude and gift it to your teacher in a handmade geometric heart. Simply the perfect gift for STEM teachers! Follow our tutorial here.

High School

3D pen art decorates white coffee mug with red apple

Coffee Cup Decor for the World’s Best Teacher

3Doodler Create+ Project

Who’s got the best teacher? You do! Create this heartwarming coffee mug decoration just for them. Use our free stencil to make it here.

3D pen art: Close-up of three glass candles with flower design. #Tiffanycandle

Custom Tiffany Candle Holders are the Perfect Gift!

3Doodler Create+ Project

Gift your teacher a handmade tiffany candle holder. Use our free stencils with Clear PLA plastics, or create your own custom designs to personalize it for your teacher! Use our free stencil to get started.

Do you have projects that you’ve made for your favorite teachers? Share them with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Posted in EDU