Mobiles
Finding the center of Gravity
Center of Gravity
Cut out some regular shapes, squares, circles, triangles out of cardboard or stock. Cut out some irregular shapes. Find the center of the regular shapes and balance the card on a pin. How to find the center for an irregular shape? Suspend the shape from one of its corners with a piece of string. Continue the thread line from the corner it is hung from to the bottom of the card. Hang from another corner and continue the line to the bottom. The center is where the two lines intersect.
Balance and Counterweight
Balance and counterweight are fundamental principles in creating hanging mobiles. These concepts involve distributing weight evenly across the mobile's structure to achieve a state of equilibrium. When crafting a mobile, each element must be carefully positioned to counteract the weight of others, ensuring the entire piece hangs level and moves smoothly. This delicate balance is achieved by adjusting the length of arms, the position of hanging points, and the weight of individual components.
The Coat Hanger
Creating a basic mobile using a coat hanger as the main arm. Children can hang various lightweight objects on each side, experimenting with different weights and positions to achieve balance. Another activity could be constructing a mobile using craft sticks, string, and small objects like paper shapes or lightweight toys. Kids can explore how changing the position of the hanging points affects the overall balance.
Seesaw
Explain the concept of counterweights while playing on a seesaw. Explain that when you add weight to one side of a mobile or a seesaw, you might need to add something to the other side to keep it from tipping over.
Movement and Rotation
Movement and rotation are crucial aspects of hanging mobiles, contributing to their dynamic and engaging nature. Movement in mobiles refers to the way individual pieces and the entire structure sway and shift in response to air currents or gentle touches. Rotation involves the turning of elements around their hanging points, creating a constantly changing visual display. These qualities make mobiles captivating and give them a sense of life and energy.
If you have any tape that has ended - save those circles! If not, cut some paper towel tubes and toilet paper tubes so that you have a circle. Or grab your cardboard and cut out a circle - then make a hole for the pencil and start to make some spinning art. Do you have a lazy Suzan? Place paper in the Tupperware with drops of paint in it. Spin and check out the results. With fan?
Love making mobiles? What to learn? Want to work together to create a class for kids about mobiles creation? Contact me @ admin@parkfuturesedu.com
Paper Pop Ups
ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕠𝕠𝕟
Moving Parts
ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕠𝕠𝕟
