Toys

Toys are the main learning objects for children. Everyone grows up with toys, even in countries without resources, where if they don't have toys, they are made with whatever material they have available.

The idea of ​​trying the DIY of toys or how to make toys yourself came up the day I discovered the work of Arvind gupta 6 years ago, in a TED talk. This Indian inventor is dedicated to making and designing toys from recycled materials and his legacy is impressive.

At Ikkaro I don't focus exclusively on this theme, but the design of simple toys with homemade, recycled and easily accessible materials is something very attractive and that I want to address in much more depth.

If Arvind says:

The best thing a child can do with his toys is break them

I would add that in addition to breaking them, make them. Let him manufacture them. It is a path to self-learning, motivation and creativity.

I remember when I was little, everything I did with paper, cardboard, sticks, stones and pieces of other toys….

Software tools for LEGO

As a good LEGO fan, you have surely made many mounts you would like to share with friends, family or to remember in the future how you can reassemble that figure.

For this, it is best to create your set or assembly kit with a LEGOVirtual and use Specific software to generate LEGO instructions. With the Lego boost We have done some things that are out of the classic robots and I would like to share it and on the other hand my daughters do many things, very interesting, figures that only occur to children and that I think is a very good way of documenting.

Searching for options I have found a large number of tools around the world of LEGO Virtual assembly. There's a CAD-based standard, there are editors, viewers, renderers and even animations for the assemblies we do. And as you can imagine, there is a long list of software and programs that I have to try and then tell you about and recommend which one to use.

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Ideas for your LEGO Boost

LEGO Boost ideas to get the most out of it

Many people only build the 5 assemblies that come in the instructions of the officer kit and that we have been seeing in the blog and it remains blocked without knowing what else to do.

But the fun is to innovate and use the pieces, especially the mobiles to create your own assemblies. So I'm going to let you how to get ideas of what you can do with your LEGO Boost at various levels, from assemblies for children, to integrations with other hardware for the more technical.

To give the LEGO Boost even more boost, I leave you a series of tips.

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How to make a Thaumatrope

Is a toy that creates an optical illusion. The thaumatrope is a disk that can be made of cardboard, metal, wood or another material to which two strings are attached to make it rotate. On each side of the disk there is a part of a drawing. The strings are turned around and made to rotate, so that a drawing is made with both sides of our album.

It is one of the so-called philosophical toys, of which we speak below. A series of toys created at the end of the XNUMXth century and based on optical illusions and effects. They were the forerunners of cinema as we know it now.

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Lego Boost Move Hub

Lego Boost Brick Move Hub

El Lego Boost robotics kit it is based on three active parts, around which all the rest are assembled.

The most important is the Move Hub that contains a motor with 2 axes and the Bluetooth module to connect with the tablet or mobile. Since everything in Boost is done through its app.

The other two pieces are a second motor and a proximity and color sensor.

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What is LEGO Boost

What is lego boost complete guide

LEGO Boost is a robotics starter kit for kids based on LEGO pieces.. It is compatible with traditional LEGO and Techno, so you can use all your pieces in future assemblies.

This Christmas the Three Wise Men gave my 8-year-old daughter a LEGO® Boost. The truth is that I saw him a little early. I did not want to introduce my daughter to complex issues, but she has been asking for it for a long time and the truth is that the experience has been very good.

It is recommended for children from 7 to 12 years old. If your children are used to playing with LEGO, the assembly will not pose any problem. And you will see that between the indications of the app and some explanations from you, they will immediately learn to use block programming.

Its price is around € 150 can buy it here.

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How to make a spinning top out of a CD

Two spinning tops dancing like spinners

Let build a homemade spinning top out of recycled material. In this case we will use old CDs or DVDs that are no longer useful. It is an activity to do with children. Well with our children, or in a workshop at school, summer school, etc.

We can take advantage of the activity for many things, explain what a gyroscope and the functions and utilities that it has or if they are smaller, we can teach them to use the compass, to cut and recycle materials. Is not a type of spinner :) but despite that I was surprised by the marble version for being spinning for more than 1'30 »

The article is separated into two parts that are two ways of construction of the spinning top. In the first and simplest 3 parts are used, the CD / DVD, a marble and a plug. The second is an old build that was based on an Instructables article and is somewhat more complex to make. not much, but less suitable for young children.

I have tried to make a video ;-)

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Spinners Guide

Fidget spinner and education

The spinners, those toys of the devil that drive all children and lads crazy for a while to this part (and even more crazy the teachers) have also arrived in Ikkaro. They consist of a body, usually made of metal or plastic, attached to a central bearing around which they rotate. This movement, for some reason we like it.

They promise to help ADHD, an improvement in concentration, stress reduction, etc., although there is nothing proven. They have been able to get into the list of the 20 best-selling products on Amazon. The Spinner fever has surprised everyone. They even have a channel on Reddit where we will find much, much interesting information.

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Fun homemade spinning toy for kids

In the line of some toys and projects that we have been leaving so you can do them with your offspring we leave this spinning toy.

Really simple but that can make you have a good time together with your children or nephews.


The end result is like this.

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Mobile toy

I do not know if this toy has a name, but it is ideal to do with the little ones in the house.

It is very simple and they will surely enjoy making their own toys.

rabbit goes down ramps for kids

In the video you can see how it works and the effect it creates.

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