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Curved origami sculpture Activity

by David Shaw, 7 September 2022 | 0 comments

A curvy, ridged shape a bit like a potato chip

Folding origami cranes and paper aeroplanes is fun, but they tend to be made of straight lines. So what happens when you fold in curves?

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Straight curves Activity

by David Shaw, 31 August 2022 | 0 comments

Skewers are straight and pretty tough. But put just the right twist on them, and you can make something surprisingly curvy!

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Balloon bagpipes Activity

by David Shaw, 18 August 2022 | 0 comments

A person holding a recorder and a balloon under their arm.

Have your parents ever told you to stop playing the recorder because you’re being too noisy? Follow these instructions to turn that recorder into a bagpipe instead!

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Reflective roads Activity

by David Shaw, 3 August 2022 | 0 comments

Road paint is surprisingly shiny! Image: ©iStock.com/NYC Stock Photos

Have you ever sat in the front seat of a car at night? Road reflectors, street signs and even road paint all shine bright under car headlights. Make your own ‘road paint’ and see if you can make it shine with glass beads!

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Try a tangram Activity

by David Shaw, 20 July 2022 | 0 comments

a duck shape made of smaller shapes

This traditional Chinese puzzle, known as a tangram, reveals some surprising properties of squares!

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Turn a t-shirt into a bag Activity

by David Shaw, 7 July 2022 | 0 comments

a black bag with the slogan: stand tall, be strong, wear a crown and be kind

Need a bag to carry your library books, or to tote home your shopping? Here’s a way to turn an old t-shirt into a new bag, no sewing needed, during Plastic Free July.

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Build your own automatic fishing machine Activity

by David Shaw, 22 June 2022 | 0 comments

Illustration of a fish trap with netting across the river.

Here’s a chance to create your own automatic fishing machine inspired by Aboriginal engineering. Automatic fishing machines were, and may still be, used by Aboriginal people to catch fish in shallow waters. This activity is based on a fishing machine invented by Aboriginal engineers and used near the Murray River.

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Big fingerprints Activity

by David Shaw, 9 June 2022 | 0 comments

Image of a fingerprint on the side of a balloon.

Have you ever wanted to know how experts identify fingerprints? This quick activity will make your fingerprints giant, to make clues easy to spot!

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Soma cube Activity

by David Shaw, 24 May 2022 | 1 comments

A cube made of lots of dice

The soma cube is a tricky puzzle! First, you’ll glue some cubes together into strange shapes. Then see if you can get those shapes to come together!

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Make a jumping jack Activity

by David Shaw, 12 May 2022 | 0 comments

Cardboard robot toy with moving arms and legs

This cardboard doll loves to leap! It takes a bit of crafting, but the results will make you jump for joy.

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