How to Create Your Own Robot Hand | Summer Lit League Week 7

Ms. May joins us to show us how to make a robot hand with just a few easy items.

For ages: 6-11

Estimated Length of activity: 60min

Supplies: 

Materials

1. Standard drinking straws (paper or plastic)
2. Jumbo drinking straws
3. White Card Stock
4. Yarn (5 different colors, one for each finger)

Tools

1. Scissors
2. Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
3. Tape

Instructions:

1. Trace your hand onto card stock; make sure to trace past your wrists.
2. Mark the location of the joints.
3. Cut the hand outline out with your scissors.
4.  Then, fold the paper hand at the marked joint locations.
5. Cut the standard straws into ¼, ½, 1, and 2 ¼-inch sizes.  Tape standard straws onto the hand cutout, and tape the jumbo straw onto the wrist. 
6. Using a different color yarn for each finger, cut five strands of yarn into 2-foot-long pieces. Knot one end of each piece of yarn.
7. Thread one yarn strand through each finger. Use a different yarn color for each finger. Have all colors meet at the wrist. 
8. Pull the strings individually and in combination to explore the world of robotics.   

Recommended Books:  

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer 
• Homemade Robots by Randy Sarafan 
• Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell 
• Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond