Make a Robot Mobile

Your child will love creating her own robot creature out of everyday items found in your kitchen!

What You Need:

• 6 empty silver colored aluminum cans (lids and wrappers removed)
• Strong string, cord or fishing line
• Scissors, scotch tape
• Can opener tool or hammer and nail
• Buttons
• Hardware items such as screws, nuts or bolts
• Hot glue gun
• Gloves, watch (optional)

What You Do:

1. Help your child punch holes in the bottom of each can using a can opener tool. Or hold a nail on the bottom of a can and pound with a hammer to create a hole.
2. Pull a string through the hole in the can through to the opposite side. Place the can sideways to be your robot’s head. Pull the string long enough through both ends of the can so there’s enough string to hold more cans.
3. Help your child pull strings through the other 5 cans so that the robot is arranged with a middle “body”, two “arms” and two “legs”. When all the cans are attached, tie off ends in knots or use scotch tape to secure loose string ends inside the cans. (NOTE: Aluminum cans have ragged edges; be careful to help your child not get scratched when pulling string near edges.)
4. Using the hot glue gun with a parent’s help, your child can glue buttons or hardware to be the robot’s eyes, mouth, and control buttons.
5. Optional: To make the robot’s arms look more like arms, your child may want to put a pair of old rubber or winter gloves on the arm cans, or an old watch around one can.

When she has finished decorating her robot, help her put another long string through the top “head” can. This string can hang the robot as a mobile on a porch or in your child’s room.