How will your beast open its mouth?
5
Dealing with technical creativity
There will be some children who want to develop their own mechanisms rather than use those explored in the Small Tasks. This is commendable but can lead to frustration if efforts are unsuccessful. One way to avoid disappointment is to think through the requirements of the mechanism by asking questions.
First you need to establish the output motion of the mechanism.
- Which part (or parts) do you want to move?
- How will this part (these parts) move - up and down, from side to side, in and out?
- How far will this part (these parts) need to move.
Next you must establish with the child the nature of the input motion.
- How will the toy be made to work - by turning a handle, by squeezing a lever, by pushing or pulling a control rod?
Now you must establish the nature of the mechanism that can turn the input movement into the output movement. Here you will need to elicit ideas that may be only partly formed. You can help by asking questions like this.
- Can you tell me what it will do?
- Can you draw it for me?
- Can you explain it so that I can draw it? And if I go wrong you can put it right?