Makey-Makey
What is the Makey-Makey?
An Invention Kit for Everyone is an invention kit designed to connect everyday objects to computer keys. Using a circuit board, alligator clips, and a USB cable, the toy uses closed loop electrical signals to send the computer either a keyboard stroke or mouse click signal. This function allows the Makey Makey to work with any computer program or webpage that accepts keyboard or mouse click.
Design your own controller with everyday materials like playdough or graphite pencils.
Control your favorite Scratch game while you learn to code.
Is a banana conductive?
The world is full of conductive objects & materials. Make musical circuits with liquids, fruits, and low cost office supplies.
Using foil, pennies, and paper clips, invent sensors just like scientists do.
How do Makey-Makey's Work?
Makey Makey Classic works through opening and closing circuits, just like any other button. Instead of the circuit being closed underneath your keyboard, the circuit is closed through the conductive objects you connect with alligator clips like your hand or your lunch or some tinfoil.
Introduction to a Makey-Makey
How does Makey-Makey Work and how to use Makey-Makey
14 Creative Makey-Makey ideas for School
Using Makey-Makey in the Classroom
Simply plug in the Makey-Makey and connect with any materials that can conduct electricity and enjoy exploring any of the Plug and Play apps.
Play the piano with fruit, play a video game.
See the Makey-Makey in action at OLOL Seven Hills
Creative Arts and the Makey-Makey
The result was a whole school imaginative exploration of understanding connections between science, coding, electricity and creativity.
Year 2 did a Makey-Makey interactive artwork with Year 2 (no scratch)
Years 3-4 did basic scratch and groups had to create a project incorporating the Makey-makey as either an interactive artwork, a musical instrument or game controller.
Years 5-6 went a bit further with scratch and had the choice to create the same options as Stage 2 as well as a dance board. Some groups chose to create an actual video game in scratch but didn't quite incorporate the makey-makey.
Watch the video to see the depth and breadth of learning across the school with the Makey Makeys.
Makey-Makeys are available for loan from the Digital Learning Library.
Email: lex@parra.catholic.edu.au