Is a limited supply list making it hard to bring fun fall projects into your classroom? Don’t worry – robotics is so versatile, it’s scary! Here are three pumpkin projects designed with materials in mind.
This spooky little styrofoam jack-o-lantern is a great basic project to get students exploring LEDs. With only a few materials, this easy project turns into a friendly, customizable pumpkin face in minutes! With the styrofoam ball as a base, students can get as creative as they want. Your class can create a pumpkin patch of their own!
No styrofoam? No problem! This jack-o-lantern is made from a cup or container stuffed with tissue paper. For a solid cup, color the outside or cover with construction paper. Just imagine the challenges: Can students make the LED flicker like a candle? Could they make the cup rotate to feature a different face on the other side? Really ramp up the challenge by attaching a sensor!
The body of the #FinchRobot is a dry erase surface, which makes it perfect for pretend play! Some orange dry-erase marker, felt, and a pipe-cleaner can transform Finch for all kinds of pumpkin play. Draw a friendly face on the Finch, tape one on with construction paper, or program a face or message via the micro:bit’s 5×5 LED array. You could even throw a pumpkin parade!