The idea for making bugs was inspired by making scribble machines and seeing how creative kids are with just a battery and a motor. This was a day long camp with 7 & 8 yr. olds. The first half of the day, observations of bugs using microscopes and creating scientific illustrations led to choosing your favorite bug attributes and inventing your own bug.

This is the Calm Chime. When the wind is not blowing, the motor turns on and stirs the tall glass of cool ice water. THe sound sensor is mounted near the wind chime. The mechanism stirs the ice water in the glass, creating a classic summer sound. Here's the program that makes it work.

This switch is closed when you squeeze the glove. The idea came from a project that Mike and Karen at the Exploratorium did with artist Bernie Lubell on how to move bursts of air with everyday materials. We did a three-hour workshop using this switch this winter.