Mark made some super-fun “blinkybug” toys for Emily, and the two of them spent some quality time together making and later playing with these all afternoon. After all, making your own toys is a lot cheaper (and WAY more FUN) than buying them!!
These little critters have blinking LED lights that turn on when their “antennae” pick up small vibrations to close the circuit. They can be made with leftover electronic components or items readily available at an electronics store.
This project was a BIG hit with Emily’s keen interest in electronics lately. Hmmm… I wonder where she gets that from??
Anyhoooooo… a BIG thank you to my dad for passing along an older issue of Popular Mechanics, which featured a simple tutorial to make these. There is even a Blinkybug Kit available on Amazon, so I’m fairly certain these creatures are plotting to take over the world!!
Here is a short video of our blinky bugs – in action!
