Tinker Nest

I love collecting old/broken toys. They are like goldmines. During the "maker's session" at my home, These toys are the best way to learn everything, from gears to circuiting. I like challenging kids with the question  "What can you do with this broken toy" . Here, I'm sharing a Remote Controlled Cardboard Cat that I recently finished with my kid. This is really a fun project and takes only  15 minutes  to make. So, Let's Start... Things We Need: 1) Cardboard pieces 14.5cm*7cm, 11.5cm*7cm and two 7cm*7cm 2) Stationary Knife or Scissor 3) One 9v Battery with cap 4) Hot Glue gun 5) Wireless receiver and transmitter from an old RC toy 6) Two DC motors Marking and Cutting Take 14.5cm*7 cm piece and make the markings according to the picture above. Use a cutter or a scissor and cut the marked lines. Remove the cut part. This will be the  front part  of the cat. Gluing Now, glue the 7cm*7cm piece at the back of the 14.5cm*7cm at a 90-degree angle using hot glu...

  STEM learning is fun when we relate theories to real-life or even better when we are able to practically perform them. I always enjoy then my teacher includes activities and role play in their lesson. I'm sharing STEM toy based on centrifugal force that I made for my physics assignments. Things We Need Two Plastic Straws Stock Paper Strip, 25cm x 2 cm Spring (I took it from old empty pen) Glue gun and Glue sticks A piece of Craft Wire Cello Tape Scissors Sprinkler Spoke Poke the stick at right angles in the center of the straw. Mark two points 3 cm from the center and make half cuts. Bend the two arms of the straw to make a triangle. U Bend Bend the craft wire in U shape as shown in picture 1 above. Stick the bend straw legs and the craft wire with glue and a piece of cello tape. Place and check that the sprinkle spoke is moving/rotating freely inside the spring. Turbine Fanfold a card strip and apply glue on one side. Stick the ends of the strip to make a star-shaped turbine. Pl...

  Have you ever stood in a vast cathedral or church, and looked up at a large circular stained glass window dominating one of the walls? Did you know it was called a rose window? Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. This type of window is called a rose window or a wheel window to refer to the fact that it's made of a series of smaller windows radiating out from the center like wheel spokes or flower petals. The rose window is one of the most representative elements of Gothic art and architecture. Their symbolism lies in geometry and the sense that many parts make a whole. When we study them, we begin to realize that these windows are made of geometric shapes. Whatever the style of window, all of the elements come together in a single cohesive design, the real and symbolic whole In this project, we will use Codeblocks and develop algorithms for the typical geometries of arch...

A few months ago, I posted "Infinite Supernova". But when I looked at the comments sections, I felt that while it really looks beautiful and is fun to build but it is time taking (we need to make 50 units before assembling) and people who are new to Origami may find it difficult. So its time to get to the basic and in this project, I'll be making a mini and easy version of "Infinite Supernova" which requires only 5 units... Yes, you heard it right... and while we are on it, we'll also learn some basic terms used in origami folding. Things We Need 5 Origami papers, 15 cm x 15 cm Flat surface for folding Paper glue Building Block: Making a Unit (1/3) Place the origami paper on a flat surface and fold the square paper vertically in half. Crease it well by sharpening it with a fingernail (Pic 1). Now, holding the upper layer, fold it vertically in half like a valley (Pic 2). This fold is known as  Valley Fold  because the crease is at the bottom and the paper is...

  Let’s face it, sometimes revision can be boring and it’s difficult for kids to motivate themselves. By the time students get to the end of term, their interest in preparing for exams can usually need some help. Today, I'll be sharing a revision activity for the classroom/home that can be used to help kids revise for exams with some fun before they do their exams. Using Games as a revision strategy not only makes it fun but also helps: 1) To develop an enthusiastic learner. 2) To motivate and engage students. 3) Reduce monotonous learning methods. 4) To help students with focus, self-esteem, and memory. 5) They can foster whole-class participation. 6) Games build class cohesion. 7) Games promote healthy competition Inspired by Snakes and Ladder board game, this game will make kids love to revise. Things We Need Chart Paper (I used Black color) Sketch pens/Watercolor of your choice Dice Game pieces/tokens A4 Sheet and Pen Preparations(1/2) 1) As shown in the picture above, make 100...