My son is a budding engineer. He is always creating things with building blocks, tearing them apart, and then rebuilding them to make something better. He loves to build things and then to tinker with them to make the creation even better, which is why I knew he would love this fun little science project.
Making a bug bot is easier than you might think. You can buy cell phone vibrating motors online or in a hobby shop. Toothbrushes, 3-volt batteries, double sided tape, small rubber bands, and decorations can be found at most local stores. It is a simple little craft project that is a whole lot of fun.
To start, use some scissors to trim the brush part from a standard toothbrush. Your bug bot will use he bristles of the brush to glide across your floor.
Next, you secure the battery using the double stick tape and rubber bands. This is where the science and tinkering comes in. The bug’s movements will vary depending on where you place the components. Your child will learn the importance of balancing the various pieces and the fun that can happen when things are slightly off balance.
After the battery is secure, you can complete the circuit by taping the blue wire of your cell phone motor to the negative side of the battery and the red wire to the positive side. Your motor should start vibrating immediately when the circuit is successfully completed. You can use craft glue to hold things in place. I preferred to use tape because it was easier to move and reattach pieces as we experimented with the design.
The last step is to decorate the brush bots. We used some fuzz balls and pipe cleaners to create honeybees and ladybugs. If you think that this step is unnecessary, think again. Making these little robots into adorable bugs is the best part. It makes it so much better when you see them dancing across the floor.
My son had a lot of fun experimenting with the bug bot designs and we all had a good laugh watching the bugs spin around the floor. The movement of the bugs can change depending on how you balance the weight of the components and the decorations. You can also change the movement by flattening the brush bristles or by trimming them.
We have far too many rainy days here in Seattle, which makes fun little science projects like this a welcome distraction. Thank you to the nice people at Monsanto for sending us this science kit to play with.
#CampSci
