Hi, this is Ito 🍣
We held another workshop in November!
NPO法人みんなのPalette on Instagram: "＼アート・自然・創作で、自分の“好き”を見つけよう！／
つくーるは「創造的・体験的な活動を通して、子どもたちが自分を表現し、仲間や地域の大人とつながる場」をつくるため、様々なワークショップを行います。
対象：小5・6年生、中学生
※小学４年生以下で参加を希望する方は、公式LINEまでお問い合わせください！
場所：いいかねPalette（田川市猪国２５５９番地）
10/25（土）10:00〜12:00
「いきものっぽいロボットをつくってみよう！」
参加費：500円 ／ 定員：15名
この事業は大坪 GSI(株)、イオン九州(株)から「福岡県共助社会づくり基金」への寄附金を活用した「ふくおか地域貢献サポート事業」として実施しています。"16 likes, 0 comments - urayamasaisei on October 22, 2025: "＼アート・自然・創作で、自分の“好き”を見つけよう！／
つくーるは「創造的・体験的な活動を通して、子どもたちが自分を表現し、仲間や地域の大人とつながる場」をつくるため、様々なワークショップを行います。
対象：小5・6年生、中学生
※小学４年生以下で参加を希望する方は、公式LINEまでお問い合わせください！
場所：いいかねPalette（田川市猪国２５５９番地）
10/25（土）10:00〜12:00
「いきものっぽいロボットをつくってみよう！」
参加費：500円 ／ 定員：15名
この事業は大坪 GSI(株)、イオン九州(株)から「福岡県共助社会づくり基金」への寄附金を活用した「ふくおか地域貢献サポート事業」として実施しています。". Instagram
This time, taking the article below as a reference, we had participants build under the theme “make a creature-like robot, and build a creature museum.”
紙コップを歩かせる紙コップを、CGでなく現実で歩かせることに成功した。これがとても可愛いかったので見てほしい。 (石川大樹)デイリーポータルZ
Overview
- Date/time: October 25, 2025, 10:00–12:00
- Venue: Iikane Palette, former science classroom
- Participants: 4th grade elementary through junior high (6 participants this time)
Iikane Palette has a former science classroom, so we had everyone build on the classroom’s sink-equipped desks. I found the science-room desks really nostalgic.
The flow went roughly like this:
- A brief explanation of motors (30 min): a simple explanation of the relationship between motors and electricity, connecting a motor to a battery to make it move
- Building creature robots while creating an encyclopedia (30 min): decorating the robot, trying out various movements like rolling and walking, filling out an encyclopedia sheet
- Building the museum (30 min): sticking up the encyclopedia sheets and making a board to explain the museum
- Everyone enjoys touring the museum together (30 min)
At the previous robot workshop, some of the younger participants really enjoyed decorating their robots, so I figured decorating something related to a museum could work well — hence this session’s theme. Each group was set up to eventually make a promotional board for the “Creature Museum.”
For the “Creature Museum” promotional board, I’d also prepared encyclopedia sheets where kids could write down what kind of creature the robot they’d built was.
The plan was for everyone to enjoy, at the end, a board covered with the robots they’d built and encyclopedia sheets describing them.
Results
- Connecting the motor (15 min)
- Trying out various arms attached to the motor for fun (15 min)
- Combining a box and motor to build a robot (30 min)
- Refining it (30 min)
- Reflection (30 min)
That’s how the flow ended up going.
I’d prepared a variety of arms with a 3D printer, and having kids try combining them and testing out the movement worked really well.
Arm data
Arms for TT motors by slideglideThe '_long' version is recommended. Since it has a wider leg spacing, it won't interfere even if you attach the battery box to the motor. If you want a more compact build, the shorter version also works.For better fixing, use M2 6mm screws.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzMG5wM0FLgThingiverse - The community for Open Hardware
Just a moment...www.printables.com
Reflections
Adult-to-kid ratio
As always, it really felt like you need 3–4 kids per adult. This time we had 3 kids per table, with 2 adults covering 2 tables.
Going forward, it might also be worth having students who understand the material well help out.
Materials and tool placement was too loose
We only had one utility knife, not enough to go around, which ended up stopping some participants’ work.
Also, I think it would’ve been better this time — since we were prioritizing smoothness — to have kept the robot arms sorted by group in advance.
I hesitated on how to run things
There were parts where I couldn’t quite decide and hesitated on the spot on the day.
This time, I’d prepared two reference robot patterns, and the plan for the actual build time was to have kids build one of the two types. But leaving it as “you can build either pattern” left both the kids and the adults unable to get moving smoothly, so I think it would have been better to either decide in advance, or just settle it on the day with something like a majority vote. I feel like it’s fine to just readily drop a plan like that.
Also, the part that never seems to go well is the opening introduction. The second half always goes well because every workshop gets lively by then. But it bothered me that it takes a bit of time before kids realize “oh, I can do this and that too” and get excited enough to start using the materials and tools.
Maybe I could support the kids’ imaginations a bit more at the very start.
It also feels fine to just readily give up on that and use the time for explanation instead.
We never actually made the Creature Museum
Lastly, we never actually used the board I’d prepared for building the Creature Museum. In the second half, the kids were having so much fun that I judged it unnecessary and didn’t push it at all. We had everyone fill out their encyclopedia sheet and present what kind of creature they’d depicted, and wrapped up there. I’d only prepared it as a fallback in case kids weren’t that interested in building robots, so I readily dropped that too on the day.
A side note
I’ve received all kinds of materials from various people, and one item I no longer need is an attaché case that scatters money nicely when you open it.
At this workshop, one participant found it and opened it. Money scattered everywhere, and the kids started scrambling to grab it first.
I saw human greed right there, and was struck by just how frightening the power of money can be.
I’ve decided to seal the attaché case away from now on, and looked up at the blue sky from Iikane Palette, thinking I want to become someone who uses money properly.
If you’d like, the encyclopedia sheet is available to download below, so feel free to grab it!