About this Event
Grab your crew and spend a Saturday morning building something real together.
Family Buildathon is a free, hands-on tech adventure where kids and grown-ups team up to create, problem-solve, and play side by side. Every family starts with bricks and finishes with a working app, all in one morning.
The Mission
Design something that helps families build a healthier relationship with technology and sparks fun activities away from screens. Then bring it to life as an app!
How It Works
- Find a problem. Talk it out as a family. Who is it for, and what makes it fun?
- Build and test. Sketch your idea, then build a real prototype with LEGO bricks. Hands first, screens second.
- Extend and interact. Use Base44, a super friendly app builder, to turn your build into a working app. No experience needed.
Morning Schedule
- 8:30 AM Check-in opens
- 9:00 AM Welcome and family icebreaker
- 9:15 AM LEGO building challenge
- 9:45 AM Family creative planning
- 10:15 AM Base44 family app build
- 11:15 AM Family showcases
- 11:45 AM Awards, photos, and closing
Project Ideas
Pick a starting point or dream up your own: a family activity generator, outdoor scavenger hunt, screen-free streak tracker, chore and responsibility tracker, reading challenge, family reward system, exercise challenge app, and more.
Mentors in the Room
Friendly mentors roam all morning to help families sharpen ideas, build prototypes, and cheer on the wildest creations.
Know Before You Go
- Who: Children ages 7 to 12 with a parent, guardian, or adult family member. One adult may supervise up to three participating children.
- Younger siblings: A separate supervised play area is available for children under 7. A dedicated accompanying adult is required and cannot participate in the main Buildathon at the same time.
- Registration: One adult registers the whole family, including all participating children and younger siblings. Space is limited to 50 attendees. Registration closes Monday, November 16 at 5:00 PM.
- Devices: Laptops are provided. No personal computers needed.
- Food: Complimentary water and individually packaged snacks (subject to venue approval). No full meal.
- Parking: Plenty of free street parking is available around the venue.
- Photography: Photo consent is collected during registration. Families can opt out.
- Please note: This is a family participation event, not a drop-off program. Building materials stay on-site.
Learn more at buildathon-mke.base44.app
Presented by Nouvelle Marketing and Atlas.
Event venue & nearby stays
Brewer's Hill Event Space at Le Village, 301 East Reservoir Avenue, Milwaukee, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.