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Build a phonograph record player using a cactus needle, a record, LEGOs gear box, and a piece of paper! This activity uses a Pico Cricket to turn the motor.

In this activity, learners create a traditional Mexican noisemaker (a matraca) using cardboard, craft sticks, and a wooden dowel.

In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

Margaret Pezalla-Granlund, a Minnesota artist, came up with this really fun and surprising activity using graphite from a pencil, connected with a Pico Cricket to tell a story: "The first time I saw s

Cardboard Automata are a playful way to explore simple machine elements while creating a mechanical sculpture.

Learners can program a compass to draw a circle by itself using a Pico Cricket, some Legos, and lots of tape! Pico Cricket is required.

In this activity, learners explore electronics and motion by making a Scribbling Machine, a motorized contraption that moves in unusual ways and leaves a mark to trace its path.

From this How To slide show, you create an Audio Tape Bow that can play distorted audio sounds by running it across a tape head.

In this activity, learners construct a home-made journal with simple, everyday materials.

In this activity (posted on March 27, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a mini zoetrope, a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures.

In this activity, learners will use a variety of household and/or natural objects to design a sculpture that balances from a single point.

In this activity, learners will discover how to make butter from scratch. One optional tips includes adding marbles to speed up the process.

Learners will follow a specific process to make their own paper using scrap paper, newspaper, or junk mail.

This activity was designed for blind learners, but all types of learners can explore the process of extrusion used to produce pipes and wires in industry.

In this design challenge, learners will create wind-powered contraptions to transport a load, such as a cupcake or another small object, and test to see if they work.

In this activity, learners will reuse plastic bags in an interesting way.

In this activity, learners complete a series of drawing activities to explore scale and powers of 10. Learners first trace each other on 1-meter-square pieces of paper.

In this twist on a classic design challenge, learners will try to stop a bouncy ball from bouncing as they explore how to control the fall of an object.

In this activity, learners use design thinking to design and build their own bridge out of household materials including adhesives and/or connectors.

In this activity, learners help a poor cartographer color in the countries on a map, making sure each country is colored a different color than any of its neighbors.