A TOY IS SOMETHING FUN TO PLAY WITH

A toy can be a doll, action figure, or animal.

A toy can be something that moves.

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A toy can be something you use for sports and exercise.

A toy can be a puzzle or a game you play with friends.

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HOW DO YOU INVENT A TOY?

You can ask yourself these questions: • What type of toy do I want? • Which age group is the toy for?

• What should the toy look like?

• What does the toy do?

• How do I play with the toy?

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Or you can look around you for toy ideas!

How about a toy that talks and flaps its wings?

Or a toy that moves up and down on a spring?

Or a game where you and your friends have toarrange the ingredients correctly?

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YOUR TOY

Invent and describe your toy here! Use thequestions on page 3 to help you.

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What does your toy look like? Draw it out, andlabel the important parts and features!

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Now that you have a toy idea, think about how you can make it by asking these questions:

What materials do I use?

What tools do I need?

How do I decorate it?

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SAFETY FIRST!

Your toy must be safe to make and safe to play with!

• Your toy should not have sharp edges or points

• Your toy should use non-toxic materials

• Ask an adult for help when cutting materials likebottles and containers

• Wear safety glasses when taking things apart

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TOY MATERIALS

Here are some examples of materials you can use for toys:

Wood, cardboard and paper

Paper and plastic containers and utensils

Cloth, felt, string and wire

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TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS

Here are two techniques and materials for making many unusual shapes for your toys:

Plasticine and clay

Plasticine and clay can be bought from art shops.

Papier Mâché

Papier Mâché can be made at home with nothing more than newspaper and glue.

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JOINING MATERIALS

There are many ways of joining materialstogether:

Tape: Cellotape, masking tape, electrical tape, cloth tape and duct tape.

Tape is easy to use but may not be strong enough for a toy.

Glue: Clear glue, white glue, wood glue, super glue and glue guns

Glue is stronger, but be sure to pick the right glue for the right material!

Safety first! Glues should be used inwell-ventilated areas! Get an adult to help when using superglue and hot glue guns.

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Paper fasteners and pins

Paper fasteners and pins are good for holding things together, while allowing them to rotate.

Nails and screws

These can hold things together very tightly.

Safety first! Wear safety glasses when using these tools! Get an adult to help if using nails and screws.

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BATTERY-OPERATED

Battery operated bulbs, buzzers and motors can make your toy light up, make sounds and move, but will take more work!

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) give off light when connected to a battery and resistor.

Look up books in the library or search on the Internet to find out more about how to use batteries, motor and bulbs.

Safety first! Get an adult to help you solderelectrical parts together. Always use batteries for your toy, never the wall plug!

Use a battery holder

Resistor

LEDs have(+) and (-)connectorswhich are connected to the (+)and (-) ends of thebatteries.

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Sometimes it can be difficult to find electrical parts and build circuits, but you can find them when you take things apart:

Toy lanterns often have light and sound circuits

Motors can be found in battery-operated toy cars

A pocket torchlight is an inexpensive light source

Safety first! Always wear safety glasses when taking things apart, and be careful of sharp edges.

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DECORATIONS

You can decorate your toy in many ways:

Crayons and coloured pencils work well on paper and cardboard.

Magic markers and highlighters can also be used.

Water colours and poster paint will make a toy look very good, but will take more time and effort to apply.

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You can design your own stickers on a computer and print them out on a colour printer.

You can use feathers, buttons, googly eyes and glitter to give a fun appearance to your toy.

Use a combination of the above techniques to make your toy special and unusual!

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MAKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR TOY

For every toy, it is important to write clear instructions so people know how to play and have fun with it!

Include a picture or photo of the toy, with the important parts labelled.

Tell people what each important part is for. What does the toy do when you pull on a string, turn a crank, or push a switch?

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For toys which are games, you need to write a set of rules on how to play the game.

There should be rules on how to score points, and how a player can win the game.

If your toy is a puzzle, be sure to include a solution!

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ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR TOY?

No!

Play with your toy. Are there parts that look like they will fall off? If so, think of how you can make these parts stronger.

Have a friend or a sibling to play with your toy. Can they figure out how to play with it? Are theinstructions clear? Do they find your toy fun? Ask them also for ideas on how to improve your toy!

Build a better version of your toy. In fact, beprepared to build many versions – this is how toy makers improve and make great toys!

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FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE

Making a toy requires a lot of hard work and effort at all stages – planning, making, decorating.

When things don’t work, take a break and do something else – read a book, play a game or do some exercise. Ideas and solutions often come when you are relaxed!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help – from friends, brothers and sisters, parents and relatives, teachers.

Remember to have fun when making your toy – a toy that is fun to make is often fun to play with.

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HANDSON

ACTIVITIES!

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HANDS ON ACTIVITY 1 – DANCING SNAKE

Magnets repel when the same poles face each other. They attract with the opposite poles facing each other. Based on this interesting magnetic property, let us make a dancing snake!

You will need cardboard, paper clips, tape, one round magnet, one bar magnet and a thin steel wire.

Due to the repulsion of the magnets placed on the snake and the base of the toy, the snake will spin around and will appear to “dance”.

Instructions:1. Cut two pieces of cardboard and make into the

shape of the holder as shown below in Step 1.

Shape of holder

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2. Cut two smaller pieces of cardboard to makethe small holders and paste them on a base as shown in Step 2. This is to make the holder more stable.

Add 2 cardboard pieces to side of holder

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3. Cut out a circular shaped cardboard and drawthe figure (see step 3). Cut it out to create the snake.

Shape of snake and how to attach wire to snake

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4. Tape the steel wire along the snake. Attach amagnet on one end of the wire and bend the other end into a hook.

How to hang up snake and attach magnets

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5. Cut a hole in the holder and using paper clip,hang the snake with the holder.

6. Paste another magnet on the base(see Step 4).

7. Move the maget near the snake, and observewhat happens!

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HANDS ON ACTIVITY 2 – MAGNETIC CABLE CAR

Magnets can be used to generate different kinds of toys. In this activity, we will move a cable car up and down using the principles of magnetism.

To do this, you will need a ring magnet, a cardboard box, steel rod, strings and colour markers.

Instructions:1. Use a cardboard box to be the base. Cut the

two pieces of cardboards into the shape shown below.

Cut the cardboard to the following shapes. They will serve as the support for the rod and ring

magnets.

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2. Make a small paper box to represent the cablecar. Decorate it and use a string to hang it on the ring magnet.

Tie the cable car to the ring magnet using strings.

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3. Bend the steel rod into the shape to make ahandle at one end.

Assemble the pieces as shown. Then, turn the handle and watch the cable car move up or down.

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4. Put all the parts together as shown. Make surethat the rod does not slip out of the holder.

5. Now turn the handle, and watch the cable carmove upwards and downwards on the rod!

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