DIY Whack-a-Mole
overview
this can easily be an all-day project, and it is so completely satisfying to construct!
build a prototype first! make detailed sketches, adjustments and careful measurements before moving on to your favorite box for the finished product.
to play
this is a two person activity! one player operates the levers to cause the fuzzy characters to pop out of the box. the other player uses quick reflexes to bop them with the mallet before they disappear again.
4 hours
maker checklist
-
the perfect box! + and extra to practice on
- 6 dowels (5in long, 1/4in diam) – 5 for the levers and 1 for the hammer
- 6 craft tubes (4in long) – 5 for the levers and 1 for the hammer
- 5 extra-large pom-poms + googly eyes for the fuzzy creatures that pop out
- rectangles of foam core or cardboard + rubberbands (for the lever guides)
- adhesive craft foam
- double-stick foam tape
- pencil and ruler
- craft knife, scissors and glue
- colorful papers and tapes for decor
- ping pong ball (for the hammer)
- other crafty bits!
check it out!
make a protoype first!
practicing with a prototype is the best way to understand how the engineering works before you jump into your final design. and it is what all engineers do.
to prepare the box
1
cut five holes in the top of the box according to our diagram and *your* careful measurements. this is where the prototype really comes in handy!
here, we show our prototype. in the next steps we show our final model.
2
punch five holes in the face of the box in order to insert your levers. space them evenly and line up the craft tube hammers so that the lift through each hole smoothly when operated.
to make the levers
3
first make your lever guides. these will make sure the levers stay in place as they move up and down.
cut 10 rectangles of foam core or cardboard, and add a strip of adhesive craft foam at the short edge of each.
4
sandwich a dowel between two rectangles of foam core board. wrap the ends with rubber bands to hold snugly. the dowel should slide easily between the layers when you move it up and down.
punch holes at the end of a craft tube to slide the dowel through. you will need 5 levers.
5
attach the lever guides to the inside of the box once everything is in place.
to assemble the box
6
place the levers so that the free ends emerge from the front of the box, and the craft tubes are lined up with the openings in the top.
7
add the little critters (big pom-poms adornded with googly eyes!) to the craft tubes, so they peek through the holes in the box.
8
make a mallet using the last dowel and craft tube, with a ping-pong ball placed in the free end of the tube.
then play!
