Josh Glenn and Mark Frauenfelder on making stuff and kids’ stuff

Josh Glenn is the co-editor of “Unbored,” a new illustrated book for kids ages 8 to 13 -- and their parents -- about making things and doing things. Hack an average water gun to make it a remote-control water gun. Start a rock band. Create your own board game.

Mark Frauenfelder, in addition to being one of the founders of BoingBoing, is the editor of Make Magazine. In his introduction to Unbored, he writes, “We live in a culture of experts who like to say ‘Don’t try this at home.’ That’s rubbish.”

In our conversation, Glenn talks about why he wanted to write a book geared to 8- to 13-year-olds, something that resonated with their growing sense of independence while sometimes needing an adult’s helping hand.

And Frauenfelder explained why he thinks making things has seen a new renaissance in our digital age.

We got to look inside the book at its unique illustrations; Glenn explained several of its projects. (Backyard parkour -- can grown-ups do that? Or will we get in trouble?) He emphasized that many of the activities urge kids to find likeminded friends -- other people who snowboard or knit or want to learn about Bigfoot.

Then the two gentlemen played a parlor game called Coffeepot. And I ask them, What exactly is a parlor game?

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