8 ms·

Toys from Trash

139 points by the-mitr 6y ago

kuu 6y ago
Really cool. Super interesting projects and really fun for kids. If I can add something, I would maybe rebrand the "toys from trash" to "low tech toys" or something similar, that does not have the negative context of "trash". That's just my opinion. Nice job anyway
- mennis16 6y ago
  I dunno, I like the title, it has a nice ring to it. But that also might be because the "trash" part reminds me more of Toy Story 4 than anything negative.
as1mov 6y ago
This takes me back quite a few years. Arvind Gupta[1] is the same guy who used to host a kids program in the early 90's called Tarang which was broadcast on national television (Doordarshan), teaching how to make toys from easily found household items. Watching this show was the highlight of my day as my family couldn't afford cable (we could barely afford electricity haha). I remember quite a few of my summer vacations involved watching this show in the morning and spending the rest of the day trying to find the materials for building what he had built. He had quite an impression on me when I was young, I largely attribute the maker enthusiasm I had to him. Just googled him, seems like he has an YouTube[2] channel now. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvind_Gupta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvind_Gupta [2]: https://www.youtube.com/user/arvindguptatoys https://www.youtube.com/user/arvindguptatoys
- boogies 6y ago
  “His popular TED Talk: Turning Trash into Toys for learning gives an insight into his work and philosophy. This talk was among the 10 best TED talks compiled by Sir Ken Robinson and Sugata Mitra's 5 favorite education talks.” (Wikipedia) It’s worth directly linking to. http://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toys_for_learning.html http://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnCqR2yUXoU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnCqR2yUXoU He shows some amazing toy demos like (small spoilers) a drawing tool for blind children and a ¢5 electric motor.
- syncbehind 6y ago
  Same here. I remember watching this via satellite because we didn't get Doordarshan normally in Nepal. Thanks for sharing his channel, I would have never thought to find him on youtube.
arkitaip 6y ago
VERY cool! Kids love when you create fun toys from seemingly nothing. The accompanying Android app seems to be free with tons of instructional videos.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
extremeMath 6y ago
I'm looking to make kids toys from United States recycling products since they are being moved to landfills. Almost no progress so far, my 400 level polymer chemistry book only has 2 paragraphs on recycling. So far I'm trying to figure out mechanical solutions. Thinking lots of boxes so kids can make forts. Hard website to use, unfortunate.
- majjam 6y ago
  Have you had a look at the scientific literature? Something like this? https://dacemirror.sci-hub.tw/journal-article/fdab0294ddc3bdafaccddf645e8d4ceb/singh2016.pdf https://dacemirror.sci-hub.tw/journal-article/fdab0294ddc3bd...
failrate 6y ago
Lately, I've been recycling gummy tins into magnetic portable board games.
- thimkerbell 6y ago
  Show these, please.
  - failrate 6y ago
    Still on the early prototype phase. Step 1: sand off the painted labelling Step 2: repaint with game board (since prototype, draw on with sharpie) Step 3: make game pieces out of magnetic tape and "resource cubes" The irony of this project is that I am in the US, and I'm taking covid lockdown seriously, ergo, I don't need portable anything. Due to the small size of the tins, small board games are preferable: Bobail, small board capture Go, Alquerque, Fanorona, etc. Fortunately, many of these games have common boards and pieces.
    - spicybright 6y ago
      Wow, that's a really good idea. Please post back here like GP said with pictures if you could!
pmoriarty 6y ago
And then there's stuff that you can make out of trashy toys: circuit bending... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDL9iGxDPM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDL9iGxDPM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Q9Ij7oUHM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Q9Ij7oUHM
a-ve 6y ago
Related (somewhat) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Garden_of_Chandigarh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Garden_of_Chandigarh Nek Chand Saini, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres (16 ha). It is completely built from industrial and home waste and discarded items.
asimovfan 6y ago
Contains the "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" book, which is an excellent book by Soto Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki. I remebered his name from where I had found the book online.

139 points by the-mitr 6y ago

kuu 6y ago

Really cool. Super interesting projects and really fun for kids. If I can add something, I would maybe rebrand the "toys from trash" to "low tech toys" or something similar, that does not have the negative context of "trash". That's just my opinion. Nice job anyway

mennis16 6y ago
I dunno, I like the title, it has a nice ring to it. But that also might be because the "trash" part reminds me more of Toy Story 4 than anything negative.

as1mov 6y ago

This takes me back quite a few years. Arvind Gupta[1] is the same guy who used to host a kids program in the early 90's called Tarang which was broadcast on national television (Doordarshan), teaching how to make toys from easily found household items. Watching this show was the highlight of my day as my family couldn't afford cable (we could barely afford electricity haha). I remember quite a few of my summer vacations involved watching this show in the morning and spending the rest of the day trying to find the materials for building what he had built. He had quite an impression on me when I was young, I largely attribute the maker enthusiasm I had to him. Just googled him, seems like he has an YouTube[2] channel now. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvind_Gupta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvind_Gupta [2]: https://www.youtube.com/user/arvindguptatoys https://www.youtube.com/user/arvindguptatoys

boogies 6y ago
“His popular TED Talk: Turning Trash into Toys for learning gives an insight into his work and philosophy. This talk was among the 10 best TED talks compiled by Sir Ken Robinson and Sugata Mitra's 5 favorite education talks.” (Wikipedia) It’s worth directly linking to. http://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toys_for_learning.html http://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnCqR2yUXoU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnCqR2yUXoU He shows some amazing toy demos like (small spoilers) a drawing tool for blind children and a ¢5 electric motor.
syncbehind 6y ago
Same here. I remember watching this via satellite because we didn't get Doordarshan normally in Nepal. Thanks for sharing his channel, I would have never thought to find him on youtube.

arkitaip 6y ago

VERY cool! Kids love when you create fun toys from seemingly nothing. The accompanying Android app seems to be free with tons of instructional videos.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

extremeMath 6y ago

I'm looking to make kids toys from United States recycling products since they are being moved to landfills. Almost no progress so far, my 400 level polymer chemistry book only has 2 paragraphs on recycling. So far I'm trying to figure out mechanical solutions. Thinking lots of boxes so kids can make forts. Hard website to use, unfortunate.

majjam 6y ago
Have you had a look at the scientific literature? Something like this? https://dacemirror.sci-hub.tw/journal-article/fdab0294ddc3bdafaccddf645e8d4ceb/singh2016.pdf https://dacemirror.sci-hub.tw/journal-article/fdab0294ddc3bd...

failrate 6y ago

Lately, I've been recycling gummy tins into magnetic portable board games.

thimkerbell 6y ago
Show these, please.
- failrate 6y ago
  Still on the early prototype phase. Step 1: sand off the painted labelling Step 2: repaint with game board (since prototype, draw on with sharpie) Step 3: make game pieces out of magnetic tape and "resource cubes" The irony of this project is that I am in the US, and I'm taking covid lockdown seriously, ergo, I don't need portable anything. Due to the small size of the tins, small board games are preferable: Bobail, small board capture Go, Alquerque, Fanorona, etc. Fortunately, many of these games have common boards and pieces.
  - spicybright 6y ago
    Wow, that's a really good idea. Please post back here like GP said with pictures if you could!

pmoriarty 6y ago

And then there's stuff that you can make out of trashy toys: circuit bending... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDL9iGxDPM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDL9iGxDPM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Q9Ij7oUHM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Q9Ij7oUHM

a-ve 6y ago

Related (somewhat) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Garden_of_Chandigarh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Garden_of_Chandigarh Nek Chand Saini, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres (16 ha). It is completely built from industrial and home waste and discarded items.

asimovfan 6y ago

Contains the "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" book, which is an excellent book by Soto Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki. I remebered his name from where I had found the book online.