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Bots Are Hot!
Robot Crafts and Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
By Amy Henry
Whether it's the endearing Rodney Copperbottom from the movie Robots, or the comic duo of R2D2 and C-3PO in Star Wars, robots capture every kid's imagination.
Robots have the characteristics of animated characters – they move, and yet their movement is under the control of the humans who design and program them, says Dee Guiney, founder of GreenApple (www.greenapplecampus.com), which offers programs designed to inspire kids' imagination and invention, including "Introduction to Robotics."
With Disney's Wall.E breaking into movie theaters across the country, it's a great time to get your toddler or preschooler into the robot groove with crafts, activities and stories that celebrate these sometimes surprisingly "human" mechanical beings.
When it comes to robots, the design possibilities are as wide open as the future itself. But if you and your little one are looking for inspiration, you'll find lots of ideas at www.robotnut.com, which features terrific color photos of the personal toy robot collection of "robot nut" Darryl Dupuis.
- Robots for Framing: Cut out squares, circles and triangles from construction paper in a variety of lively colors. Let your little one arrange the shapes on a contrasting colored paper until she finds her "perfect" bot. Then paste in place and frame with 1- to 2-inch-wide strips of black construction paper. Now it's ready for hanging in the gallery on your child's bedroom wall or the family fridge.
- FeltBots: Cut out the shapes suggested above, but from felt, for your young "engineer" to assemble and reassemble on a felt board. Using a glue stick, your child can add robot "gizmo" details by pasting bright sequins, small beads, buttons, paper clips or glitter to the felt pieces. A changing parade of bots!