When it comes to recycled crafts, tin can robots take the prize! There are no rules when it comes to making them so you can use up all kinds of materials.
This makes for a great classroom craft, you can have students bring in all kinds of broken materials, packaging or used up things like clocks, pens, cans, bolts and screws, broken pieces and have them engage in this trully open ended crafting activity.
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You probably know this small waste-collecting robot called Wall-E, the last robot left on Earth? Remember how he keeps these tiny metal parts in his house, so he can fix himself if damaged? This movie makes for a great watch before engaging in this arty project.
For this project, have the kids go and find some small machine parts, pen spirals, tiny light bulbs (older kids only), kitchen scourers and other small metal and even plastic pieces.
We are going to make these cool robot friends and only your imagination is the limit here.
How to Make Tin Can Robots
What you need:
- a tin can (or you can use a toilet paper roll wrapped in aluminum foil instead)
- bits and pieces you found
- googly eyes (as many as you wish)
- low temp hot glue or glue dots for younger kids
- scissors
Let the crafting begin!
Step by Step Instructions
There are a thousand ways you can make a tin can robot, we’re showing you how we made one of ours.
Apply some glue on top of the pen spirals … The pen spirals make for cool antennae. Glue dots secure them well also.
… and place them on the tin can.
Bend the spiral tops using your fingers, then put some glue on the googly eyes …
… and place them on the spirals.
Put some glue on the metal hexagonal nut and glue it on the tin can.
That would be the nose of our robot.
Cut out curly hair’ strands from the kitchen scourer using your scissors, apply some glue on their tops and glue them on top of the tin can.
Look at that frizzy robot hair!
Put some glue on two metal circles and place them on the tin can.
Those would be the cheeks.
Cut out a tiny piece of aluminium foil and glue it on the tin can. That would be the lips.
Done!
Hope you had fun making today’s project!
See the other robots we created and feel free to use your own imagination while making your tin can robot friends.
See you soon with more fun crafts!
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