DIY: Voice-Controlled Snake | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Voice-Controlled Snake

Stem Activities

Ages: 3-5

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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You might have seen voice-controlled light bulbs, but have you ever seen a voice-controlled snake? Make a pipe cleaner snake and control its movements with your voice. Learn about the science of sound vibrations.

Materials Needed

Paper cup
Kitchen roll tube
Pipe cleaners
Scissors
Craft knife
Pencil
Googly eyes

An overhead flatlay image displays various craft supplies arranged on a light woodgrain surface. The items include a pink paper cup, a cardboard tube, a pair of blue-handled scissors, a yellow utility knife, a blue pencil, a few pastel-colored pipe cleaners, and a small cluster of googly eyes. These materials appear to be gathered for a children's craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Place the kitchen roll tube against the side of the paper cup and trace its outline with a pencil.

Two hands are shown in the process of making a craft project. One hand holds a white cardboard tube against a pink paper cup, while the other hand uses a blue pencil to trace the end of the tube onto the side of the cup. The hands and materials are positioned on a light woodgrain surface. This image captures a step-by-step crafting process, likely aimed at children.

Step 2

Carefully cut along the pencil line using a craft knife or scissors.

Two hands are shown working with a pink paper cup on a light woodgrain background. One hand holds the cup while the other hand uses a yellow utility knife to carefully cut out a circle that has been traced onto the side of the cup. The process suggests a crafting activity, and the precision required indicates it's likely a demonstration for older children or adults.

Step 3

Insert the kitchen roll tube into the opening in the paper cup.

Two hands hold a pink paper cup with a cardboard tube inserted into a circular opening cut into its side. The tube extends horizontally from the cup. The background is a light woodgrain surface. The fingernails on the hands holding the craft project have subtle nail art. The image showcases a simple construction made from everyday materials, likely part of a children's craft activity.

Step 4

Take the pipe cleaners and wrap them into a snake shape as shown. Stick the googly eyes onto the snake's head.

Two hands with decorated fingernails hold a sparkly blue pipe cleaner against a plain, light-colored background, likely a wooden table or desk. The hands manipulate the pipe cleaner, bending it and shaping it, presumably as part of a craft or DIY project.

Step 5

Place your completed pipe cleaner snake on top of the paper cup.

A hand places a sparkly blue pipe cleaner, adorned with a googly eye, into a pink paper cup. The cup has a cardboard tube attached to its side. Rolls of colorful tape and what appears to be a project box labeled AUTOMATON are visible in the background, slightly out of focus. This image depicts a stage in a crafting process, likely for creating a simple automaton or kinetic toy. The light woodgrain surface serves as the backdrop.

Step 6

Now, shout loudly into the kitchen roll tube. Try varying the volume of your voice and observe how the snake responds.

A close-up view of a light blue paper cup. A shiny blue pipe cleaner is inserted into the cup, and a googly eye is attached to the top, creating a small puppet. A person wearing glasses is partially visible in the background. The background features a light-colored wall with blurred orange and yellow circles. This video demonstrates a simple craft project, likely aimed at children.

The Science Behind It:

Sound is created by 'vibrations'. When you play music or shout loudly, sound waves cause the object the snake is sitting on to vibrate, and these vibrations make the snake dance!

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We’re a passionate team of scientists, engineers, and educators dedicated to delivering hands-on fun. Our mission is to inspire creativity and confidence in the next generation of young innovators.