We recently hosted a mini robot-building program for
‘tweens; it was popular, fun, and easy!
The idea and basic structure of the event came from the NOVA
Making Stuff Activity Guide.
What We Called It: Mini Robot Workshop
Ages: 8-12
Registration: None
When We Offered It:
After school on a Tuesday, from 3:30-4:30. Kids could drop in anytime during the hour;
many stayed the entire time.
Materials We Used: One clear plastic cup and two magnets
(3/4” round) were the bare bones of the project for each child. We had a variety of optional accessories, including
wing nuts, brads, blunt screws, washers, nuts, wiggly eyes, drinking straws
pipe cleaners, glue dots, double-sided tape, and unidentified assorted
hardware. We had good luck finding
materials at the local hardware store and the Habitat Restore. American
Science and Surplus would also be a great source!
What We Did: One
magnet (the “controller”) was held against the inside of the cup’s wall by the
child’s fingers. The other magnet was
placed outside of the cup, opposite the controller. As the child moved the controller, the other
magnet moved, too, thanks to the force of the magnets working across the cup’s
wall. The challenge was to make the magnet
on the outside of the cup into a mini robot by adding hardware, straws, eyes,
etc.
How many accessories can be added before the robot gets so
heavy it can’t be moved by the controller?
What happens if we add more magnets on the inside of the
cup? How about on the outside, creating
a small stack of magnets as the base for the robot?
Is it possible to build a robot with no adhesives (glue dots
or tape)? Hint: make sure you offer a
lot of magnetic accessories—conveniently, a lot of hardware is magnetic!
The Verdict: This program allowed us to offer a STEM-related
program without a large investment (time or money), extensive background
knowledge, or a big mess. We were able to accommodate a large crowd with just
one adult because of the no-fail nature of the project (and, to be honest, because
of the kid-friendly glue dots!). Attendees
were very enthusiastic and built amazingly creative robots with features I
never could have imagined. They also
came up with their own challenges and questions, which they were welcome to
pursue with any of the materials available.
As the hour ticked by, ‘tweens who didn’t know each other at the start
of the program began working together to create robots, work on new challenges,
and have fun at the library—which is, of course, the whole point.
1 comment:
Hi, Sounds like fun! What kind of magnets did you use
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