Birthdays for 7 & 8

Eli Whitney Museum

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We are accustomed to teaching with a model in front of a child, but these instructions should make it so that anyone can build one without our presence. We urge that parents and teachers be there to guide – but to allow the child to try to let the materials (and a picture of the final product) guide them. A wrong direction is always un-doable until you've glued something.


The Parts.


Step 1. Insert the 1/2" fluted dowel into one of the wheels (be sure the holes in one side of the wheel is facing outward) and put the dowel through the large hole in the horse's body. Then push the other wheel onto the dowel. The wheels should fit close to the horse's body but still be able to turn easily. The wheels should be tight on the axle. If not, put some glue on them. The dowel should be centered in the assembly.


Step 2. Put the rectangular plywood strip into the slot in the horse's chest and put the two 1/4" dowels through the 1/4" holes in the body just behind the wooden strip.


A Front view of Step 2.


Step 3. Put one white plastic bushing/spacer over the top 1/4" dowel. Take the rubberband and loop it over the bottom dowel.


Step 4 and 5. Place a leg over the top dowel and bring the rubberband over the top of the leg and loop it onto the lower dowel.
You will do the same on the other side. The pictures tell the story here...And a view from the front when both legs are on.




Step 6. This view shows the hand crank placed into one of the holes on one side of the body (can be right or left handed) and the rest of the short fluted dowels put into various holes on both sides of the wheels so that, when you crank it, different patterns will be heard when the horse's legs strike the wooded strip.

The fat rubberbands are there if you want to put them onto the circumference of the wheels so that you could push the horse along a table or the floor to make the legs move instead of hand cranking it. O rings are to go on the outside of the horses legs on the 1/4" dowels if needed.

Robot Drum Unicorn Horse

Robot Drum. Horse. Unicorn parts2

Rob Dr Hse Step 1

Rob Dr Hse Step 2

Rob Dr Hse Step 2b

Rob Dr Hse Step 3


Rob Dr Hse Step 4

Rob Dr Hse Step 5

Rob Dr Hse Step 6

Battleship 2020

Robot Drum Unicorn or Horse

Construct a robot. Hear the logic of Leonardo's mind at work as he invents the first modern robot, an automatic drum machine whose rhythms can be reprogrammed flexibly and whose tempos adjust automatically.

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Birthday project

Rolling Egg Series

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Build a Unicorn, Dragon, or Penguin with a hole in the middle. Why the hole? Watch the egg tumble in his tummy when he rolls along. Or a Cement Truck!

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Shooting Castle Bank

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Build a castle tower to protect your gold.

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Balancing Circus

Homage to Calder

The Circus explores the art and science of balance, forces, center or gravity and performance. Conceived with a nod to artist /engineer Sandy Calder, each circus tests classic experiments at work.

Expands STC curriculum.

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The Magnetic Top

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Experiments from Arvind Gupta. Gupta is a brilliant Indian educator who translates the big ideas of science into toys that excite curiosity.

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Dancing Robots

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Build a robot, add a motor and an eccentric wheel (or heart or star), a battery and wire it up. Your robot will dance and vibrate to any tune you call. Build a traditional robot, a Stormtrooper a Supergirl or maybe even Silver Surfer robot. You get to choose.

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Battleship

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Build a battleship with turrets. Fly your flag.

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Pirate Ship 2020

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Ahoy There Matey!

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Birthday project

Dancing Pirate

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A pirate, a parrot, a motor, an eccentric wheel and battery.

Arghhh! Dancing.

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Pinball Machine

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A popular project that teaches game design (beginnings, middles and ends), logic (rewards for difficulty), marble movement (caroms, momentum) and creative design (good games must still attract players.) A rare exploration of the work of play.

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Analog Minecraft

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Create your own world of Minecraft in three dimensions with our building blocks and glue. Make a character you choose (Steve? Creeper? Enderman?) to keep you company you when you're playing online.

Common Sense Media rates Minecraft as a game for 8 years old and up.

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Stomp Catapult

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Inspired by Wallace and Grommit's Sheep-a-pult, this catapult launches soft wool 'sheep' or 'cows' or anything you choose to launch into the castle tower that you build. Ready, set, launch!

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Ecosystems:Magnetic Pendulum

Ecosystems Magnetic Pendulum

All creatures live in a web of resources that support or suppress their growth. Create a dynamic model of an insect’s or bird’s world. Suspend a magnetized creature on a pendulum. Add food and shelter (with magnets) that attract the creature and predators and hazards that repel it. The creature navigates a complex and fascinating path.

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Balance / Folk Toys

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Immigrants brought to America traditions of crafting simple playthings out of common materials. These toys develop dexterity and inventiveness. Two toys from the catalog of classics. Understand Force and Motion or connect to Colonial curriculum or the geography of play. Yesterday's toys for today's kids – and they still evoke wonder. Nothing and everything is new.

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Designing Dragons Birthday

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Dragons are made of parts borrowed from birds, reptiles, mammals and imagination. Assemble your own: from the old Norse traditions that Hiccup so carefully described. Or from the now 15 year-old Pokemon traditions of Japan. Make your dragon match your favorite or look like a beast no one else has ever seen.

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Birthday Dynabrolly

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Looking at wave forms at different speeds and the effect of weight, air friction and gravity. As the speed changes, see the different number of waves traveling around the edge of the cloth.

Or, just enjoy the sheer pleasure of watching a dancer twirl about, a spaceship spin, Elsa or Olaf skate on ice, or Dervishes spin and spin and spin.

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X Wing Fighter

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The X-wing was a prominent series of multiple starfighters produced by Incom with a characteristic "X"-shape of four wings, known as S-foils, extending out from the fuselage. These star fighters were found in the service of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic, and also the Whitney Workshop.

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