My friend Kevin Jarrett shared this easy to follow guide to Cardboard Automata from the Exploratorium in San Francisco. It’s a great FREE resource for getting started with making in a fun, creative way. You can easily get started with stuff you probably already have around the house or classroom. Kevin suggests:

“Pro tip: print the instruction pages in color and have them laminated. Then place several at tables where people are working so they can refer to them. Works great!“

The guide includes links to video clips, materials lists, examples of projects, and suggestions, besides the colorfully illustrated step by step instructions. A great way to get started at home or in the classroom. The obvious next step would be taking the skills learned here and integrating them with motors, gears and such, whether you have them or get them in a kit such as what is offered in a Hummingbird Bit kit. Then besides hand cranking the movements, you have motorized them and added computer programming to the mix. Check it out!

Learning is messy!