When we at The Hacktory were invited to present a hands-on activity for The Davidson Young Scholars’ gathering at the Academy of Natural Sciences, one scientific exercise came immediately to mind:
A ferocious, fire-breathing dragon
Squishy Circuits.
Students of all ages used conductive play dough and electronic components to sculpt a fantastic menagerie of glowing, moving clay creatures. As they exercised their creativity, the students also got to explore the science behind circuits and electricity (a principle which happens to be part of The Hacktory’s core educational values!)
Click through for our experiences making and using conductive dough, and more photos! »
Have you been looking for an opportunity to level up in soft circuits? Program Your Hoodie is a class for people skilled in at least one of: sewing, circuits, or Arduino. By the end of this class, you will be reasonably competent in all of them, and have a sweet light-up hoodie to take home! We’ll have supplies to make a chain-reaction LED hoodie, based on a design by Penn’s eCrafting group, but if you have a project idea of your own, we highly encourage you to bring it. The hoodie uses two conductive patches on the cuffs as a switch for the Lilypad attached to the back, so your design blinks into action when you hold hands with yourself or others. Bring your hoodie to the Franklin Institute’s Astronomy Night, April 26, and join the circle of lights to celebrate the Philadelphia Science Festival!
