Free STEM-At-Home Activities Promote Learning And Having Fun
Learn to make a flip toy from recycled or very cheap materials as an outcome of a STEM at Home Activity. Flip toys are widely available in Latin America, where they are known by different names in different countries: acrobata (acrobat), trapecista (trapeze artist) and salto de muerte (somersault, literally, jump of death). A flip toy consists of two parallel sticks, held upright, connected by a flexible pivot, and supporting a little figure suspended from a loop of string. When you squeeze the bottoms of the sticks together, the figure does a complete flip. The only materials you need to make one are two rulers, craft sticks or paint sticks, a strip of cardboard or a plastic bottle top, some tape and string, a clothespin and craft supplies. It might not work at first, but that’s where the learning comes in! There are troubleshooting tips showing how to address common problems. Once you’ve made one, you will want to know how it works. The operation of a flip toy involves scienc...