I was asked to participate in Youth Maker Night Circuits! at Assemble, a great local space for science/technology/art. The plan for this event was for kids to move around freely to different stations with activities. I chose to take squishy circuits. This activity was developed by the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas to enable kids to investigate circuits using conductive play dough. I think it is a good choice for an event like this because kids can spend as much or as little time with it as they want. The Playful Learning Lab maintains an excellent website about squishy circuits, so this post will mostly consist of observations and tips. There are also plenty of pictures of the great circuits the kids made at Assemble!
I made both conductive dough (mine was green) and insulating dough (yellow). The squishy circuit recipes are easy to follow. The only thing to note is that the conductive dough recipe calls for a lot of cream of tartar. Don't buy the tiny jar at the grocery store; take a jar to your local bulk foods store. Also, buy a snack. It can be disappointing to do all the cooking and cleaning up for squishy circuits and then realize that after all that time in the kitchen, you still have to make dinner.
In addition to the dough, I use LEDs, 9 V batteries, battery connectors, and extra wires to make squishy circuits. I have run this activity several times, and I generally use the same approach. Each time a new group of kids comes to the table, I show them how to make the simplest possible circuit (below). I tell the kids three things before turning them loose to make their own circuits. First, electricity needs to be able to go all the way around the circuit (or circle, if the kids are very young). If there is a gap, the electricity can't flow, and the LED won't light up. Second, electricity is "lazy" - it always takes the easiest path. If the electricity can go through just the play dough and wires, it will do that instead of going through the LED. Third, LEDs are like one-way streets; electricity can only go through an LED one way. If the circuit doesn't work, flip the LED around and try again. These explanations seem to work well for elementary school children (though they certainly rely on the personification of electricity).
After they try the simple circuit, most kids are eager to try adding additional LEDs or wires to their circuits. At this point, they are most likely to need help troubleshooting. If they have a problem, I first ask it they have tried flipping the LED. If they have, I ask them to trace with their finger where the electricity is going. This can help them to identify where the circuit is open or where pieces of play dough are unintentionally connected.
A spider:
Typically, some children place multiple LEDs in series, while other place them in parallel. LEDs placed in series are dimmer, and by looking at their neighbors' circuits, kids will notice that some circuits make the LEDs brighter. This is a good opportunity to have them look at different types of circuits. I sometimes introduce the words "series" and "parallel," but I try to keep explanations simple. For example, lights in series are dimmer because the electricity is split between the lights.
Two cats with LEDs in parallel:
An experiment with wires and LEDs in series:
I always have children start with the conductive dough, but of course, they quickly notice that I have another color. I encourage them to try the simple circuit with the second dough and tell me what happens. I ask kids what they think the difference between the two doughs is and then explain the difference between a conductor and an insulator. At Assemble, one very perceptive young person told me that the green dough meant go, and the yellow dough meant slow down (I didn't use deionized water, so the yellow dough circuit lit the LED very dimly). What a great way to think about it! I only wish I had colored my dough with that in mind, but it was actually a coincidence based on the food coloring I found in the kitchen drawer. Next time, I think I will use green for the conductive dough and red for the insulating dough.
Two little creatures with insulating legs:
Initials (with insulating dough to prevent short circuits):
I made both conductive dough (mine was green) and insulating dough (yellow). The squishy circuit recipes are easy to follow. The only thing to note is that the conductive dough recipe calls for a lot of cream of tartar. Don't buy the tiny jar at the grocery store; take a jar to your local bulk foods store. Also, buy a snack. It can be disappointing to do all the cooking and cleaning up for squishy circuits and then realize that after all that time in the kitchen, you still have to make dinner.
In addition to the dough, I use LEDs, 9 V batteries, battery connectors, and extra wires to make squishy circuits. I have run this activity several times, and I generally use the same approach. Each time a new group of kids comes to the table, I show them how to make the simplest possible circuit (below). I tell the kids three things before turning them loose to make their own circuits. First, electricity needs to be able to go all the way around the circuit (or circle, if the kids are very young). If there is a gap, the electricity can't flow, and the LED won't light up. Second, electricity is "lazy" - it always takes the easiest path. If the electricity can go through just the play dough and wires, it will do that instead of going through the LED. Third, LEDs are like one-way streets; electricity can only go through an LED one way. If the circuit doesn't work, flip the LED around and try again. These explanations seem to work well for elementary school children (though they certainly rely on the personification of electricity).
Two cats with LEDs in parallel:
Two little creatures with insulating legs:
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