Claw Creation
Included Materials
8 Craft Sticks with holes
11 Metal Brads
2 Cotton Balls
4 glue dots
Construct your Claw Creation
1.
Take two craft sticks and overlap them so that they make an “X.” Make sure the holes in the center of these two craft sticks are overlapping.
Insert the legs of one metal brad through these center holes. Fold the legs of the metal brad down so the metal brad stays in place.
2.
Repeat step 1 with 3 more sets of craft sticks. You should now have 4 sets of “X”s.
3.
Connect your “X”s: Lay one “X” down so the holes on two legs of the first “X” overlap with the holes on two legs of a second “X”.
4.
Insert a metal brad through the holes at each of the intersections of the sticks (there are 2) and fold the legs of the metal brad down so they stay in place. The “X”s should now be connected.
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5.
Repeat step 3 with the other two “X”’s. Now you should have 4 “X”s which are connected together in a row.
6.
To finish your claw, attach the cardboard triangles to one end of your structure using glue dots. Try picking things up with your claw creation!
How it works
When you open the handle of your claw creation, the grabber shortens and the claw opens. When you push the handle together, the grabber becomes longer and the claw closes. The metal brads act as joints; the joints allow the connected craft sticks to move and bend. When these connected craft sticks move, the arm on your grabber becomes longer and shorter. When your grabber becomes longer, the claw on the grabber moves farther away. As a result, a longer grabber extends your reach!
Explore!
1.
Decorate your claw creation with markers and stickers.
2.
Experiment with using different types of claws. Would a rectangular claw pick items up better? Can you improve your claw’s grip using rubber bands or foam or some other type of material?
3.
Can you make a grabber out of other materials? How can you make your grabber reach even farther?
3.
Think about other ways the extending arm and claw could be used.
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