Fun & Games

The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.

Twitchie Scorpion

Twitchie Scorpion

I made this scorpion toy with a Twitchie Robot Kit. I’m really afraid of scorpions where I live in Arizona, so I thought a friendly toy would help me get used to them. I made his plush body from some fabric I had around, aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent. Twitchie is Arduino powered and comes pre-programmed, so it’s an excellent kit for beginners in robotics, because no programming is required! You can download and modify the code if you want, and it’s pretty light on the soldering, too. I’d recommend Twitchie for young makers (boys & girls, too!) interested in robotics or moving plush toys. You can buy the Twitchie Robot Kit in the Maker Shed:
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKTET2

Music is “At the Crack of Noon” by Shuutobi, http://shuutobi.com

Continue Reading Becky Stern
Improvised offroad toy

Improvised offroad toy

Toys are so much more fun when you make them yourself rather than purchasing one. Popular in Cameroon, these so called “remote controlled” toys are made from the various bits of debris cast off from modern life. It may not have accelerated graphics or play PVZ, but then again it’ll never run out of batteries and can always be scavenged for parts for the next improvised toy fad.

Continue Reading Adam Flaherty
Building a better Nerf gun

Building a better Nerf gun

Simon, our favorite New Zealand maker, decided to build a better Nerf gun. The pistol is made from 32mm ID PVC pipe, some aluminium extrusion and aluminium pipe, wood for the grip and various pieces of metal and plastic. The main spring is one I got from Bunnings warehouse. This gun should be able to […]

Continue Reading John Baichtal8