STEM Pop-Up Workshops in the Bay Area: A Guide for Families and Groups | CHIPS Blog
How CHIPS pop-up workshops work: choose a take-home kit, match age and duration, book a school, library, club, company, or family event, and build together.
A pop-up workshop is designed for a group that wants one complete engineering experience without committing to a weekly term. Participants assemble, wire, test, and use a real device during a focused session.
CHIPS can bring pop-ups to schools, libraries, clubs, community spaces, companies, and private groups. The project determines the age range, session length, price, and instructor staffing.
Format: One focused build session
Projects: Robots, speakers, radios, walkie-talkies, karaoke, and custom kits
Ages: Options begin around age 6; each kit has its own range
Result: Each participant builds and takes home a working project
How a pop-up differs from a demonstration
In a demonstration, one expert performs while the audience watches. In a CHIPS workshop, each participant has hardware in front of them and is responsible for making it work.
Instructors explain the key principle, guide safe assembly, and help with faults. The participant owns the final test and leaves with the project.
Choose by age, time, and learning goal
Bluetooth speaker: a compact introduction to audio and wireless pairing
FM radio: antennas, signals, tuning, and broadcast reception
Walkie-talkies: microphones, speakers, push-to-talk, and radio communication
Karaoke machine: Bluetooth audio, microphone, echo, and light effects
Dancing robot: motors, LEDs, sound sensing, and calibration
Robot arm: mechanical assembly, joints, motors, testing, and control
What organizers should know
A useful inquiry includes the group size, participant ages, preferred date, city, available session length, venue, and first-choice project. Mixed-age groups may need a simpler kit or additional instructors.
Tables, power, noise, internet, adult supervision, setup time, and cleanup should be agreed before the event. CHIPS includes those requirements in the booking discussion.
Why the take-home result matters
The project becomes a memory and a prompt for further questions. A child can open the radio again, pair the speaker with another phone, test the walkie-talkies outdoors, or show a parent how the robot responds.
That continued use extends the value beyond the scheduled workshop and gives families visible evidence of what the participant learned.
Requesting a date
The Events page lists example kits and collects group details. Submitting the form starts a scheduling conversation; it does not automatically charge the organizer.
Families looking for a private birthday format can use the Birthday Parties page, which includes dedicated packages and booking terms.
What ages can join a CHIPS pop-up workshop?
Some one-hour audio and radio kits are designed for ages 6+, while larger robot builds begin around age 8 or older. Each workshop page lists its recommended age.
Do participants keep the project?
Yes. CHIPS pop-up formats are built around each participant completing and taking home their own kit.
Can a school or library book a private workshop?
Yes. Schools, libraries, clubs, companies, and community groups can request a project, date, and location through the Events page.