Make something with Rubber bands. (Or binders, laggy bands, elastics, elastic band, lackey bands, and laggy bands…what do YOU call them?).
Rubber bands are generally used to hold objects together, but what else have you or your children used them for? Have you wrapped them around Easter eggs, cinched them together to make a paintbrush, added them to a catapult, used them to make tie dye, or glued them to wood to make a rubber stamp?
What can you do with rubber bands, or what HAVE you done with rubber bands? The project should be executed by children, but adults are welcome to facilitate or collaborate if the mood strikes!
To join in on the Experiment
- Use rubber bands, along with any other materials of your choice.
- Attach a link to your blog post, a YouTube video, or photo of the experiment along with a description of what you and/or your child/ren did in the comment section below.
- There is no deadline for this project.
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some thoughts to get you started:
- Add nails to a piece of wood and let your kids design a picture with rubber bands, like this from Jojoebi or this from the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory Interactive Science Center
- Create patterns with rubber bands and glue them down. Look at this for inspiration.
- Think of rubber bands as a sculptural medium. Use glue or a glue gun to adhere them together. Here’s an idea and here’s another.
Instructions for adding an image file
- Click on the “Choose File” button (below the “Submit” button)
- Choose a JPEG file from your computer
- Type in a description of your experiment into the comment text box
- Click the “Submit Comment” button
For more Creative Experiments, click here.
Well, Now you got me thinking!! My Dad had a rubber band collection all arranged in a rainbow in his workshop!!! That should count for something! I guess i will have to go out and buy some rubber bands because I just use the ones on vegetables —-I recycle! Cassie and I will come up with something! thanks for the inspiration to keep thinking ….
Melissa, Your dad sounds awesome! You’ve got me thinking that I should change the wording of these challenges to make them for adults as well as kids. Look forward to seeing what you and Cassie come up with 🙂
I love the jojoebi project. I used to go to my dads workshop at a very young age and make these projects. (heart strings are pulling.) I’m going to do this with Simone and try to ad a contemporary bend to it.
thanks rachelle
Hey dan! I’m planning to try our take on the jojoebi project too, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with. xo
Hi Rac. Our project is complete and posted.
http://www.daniellebashton.com/danielle_b_ashton/blog/Entries/2011/3/23_elastic_project_inspired_by_Tinkerlab’s_Experiment_series..html
We can not wait till the next project in the series.
brilliant! i love seeing all the things you’ve added to it — hooks and monkeys — hanging from the ceiling! truly the work of an artist 🙂
Hey Rachelle,
Sure sounds like a unique experiment. Let’s see what we can come up with. I love it when there’s a creative challenge thrown in. If we do come up with something, I will come back and share the link. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
looking forward to it, rashmie 🙂
It’s a bit chilly today, so it was the perfect day for an indoor activity while waiting for it to warm up! My 3 year old and I took out our container of rubber-bands and wondered what we could do with them? We laid on our bellies on his ducky blanket and listened to the radio for inspiration! It hit right away and Roman said: Make Guitar!! <> We got working with a box from our cardboard pile and had a blast! We used oil pastels for our decor and he got so into sliding them on! Our post doesn’t post until Monday, but I wanted to share it here!
Michelle! Okay, I’m sure I’m not the first to tell you that Roman is SO Creative! What a clever idea, and I absolutely love the organic way that you both came up with it. Looking forward to reading more about it tomorrow. (And your pictures are beautiful, BTW).
Thank you so much, he is quite the thinker that little one, but sometimes his ideas get a little wild! hahaha!!!
Here is the link to our post today:
http://michellescharmworld.blogspot.com/2011/03/creative-experiment-rubber-bands.html
Here’s a rubber band pinball machine my kids made using scrap wood, nails, and rubber bands: http://bit.ly/9uLBjI
Amida! This is a brilliant idea! And I especially love the additions of “Lost” “Start” and “Finish.” Thanks for adding this to the conversation.