DIY Cardboard Automata Cam Mechanism

45 mins Ages 5-6 Indoor

A playful, screen-free adventure designed to spark curiosity, sensory exploration, and fine motor skills for kids aged 5 to 6.

Materials Needed

  • • Small shoebox or tissue box (1 box)
  • • Wooden craft skewers (blunted) (2 units)
  • • Heavy corrugated cardboard scraps (2 sheets)
  • • Plastic drinking straw (1 unit)
  • • Tape and craft glue (1 set)

Pro Tips

  • → Mounting the circular cardboard cam off-center (eccentric) creates the bobbing motion.
  • → A vertical straw keeps the follower stick moving smoothly up and down without tilting.
  • → Tape a paper dragon or jumping frog to the top of the follower stick for mechanical delight.

Safety First

Trim sharp skewer ends with pliers before handing to child.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Step 1

Punch two horizontal holes through the sides of a small shoebox and push a wooden skewer through as an axle.

2

Step 2

Glue a thick cardboard circle off-center onto the axle inside the box to serve as the rotating cam.

3

Step 3

Glue a vertical drinking straw through the top lid and drop a second skewer through it so its base rests on the cam.

4

Step 4

Tape a paper animal to the top of the vertical skewer and turn the axle crank to make it dance up and down.

What they are learning

Mechanical rotary-to-linear kinetic motion Cam and follower engineering Axle stability