Fun Recycled Robot Crafts

Got a big pile of recycling?  Well if you do, with just a few more items, you could have amazing robots like this little guy right there.  S made him all by herself - isn't he adorable?

Let's talk materials.  You need some metal cans to start.  Next you'll need some of these small round magnets.  I got some at our local craft store, Michaels, but you can also get them at Amazon.  And finally, for added fun, you'll need various parts for the robots.  I took a trip to our hardware store and scored all the random bits and pieces for less than $2!  We also added some caps from our recycling to the robot making bits and pieces. Mother's Day Coloring Pages for Adults

To encourage the creation of amazing hairstyles, I took a nail and hammered holes just big enough for pipe cleaners in various patterns on the bottoms of the cans.  Here S is designing the hairstyle of robot number one.  For added flair, you can curl or zig zag the pipe cleaners.

To attach any metal parts, you just need to use a round magnet.  This is a great way to discuss what things are and are not magnetic.  For any of the plastic caps or googly eyes, we needed to use hot glue to attach magnets.  S dictated how many of each I made and decided which bottle caps were to receive googly eyes and which were to remain plain.

S was very deliberate with all of her choices.  I liked offering her a surplus of options to see what she would come up with - I also felt like this would also allow for several very different looking permutations of robots.

S was kind enough to share *some* of the supplies with me and I was allowed to make ONE (but just one) robot.  Here she is making a goober face with him.  :)  I like his mustache. Ever Free Coloring

These four guys were all S's work!  Isn't that amazing?  I love how each has its own style and personality!  When not in use, we store the cans and all the necessary parts in a bin that is always available to S.  Because the round magnets are very dangerous to babies and toddlers if ingested, the storage container has locking handles and S is only allowed to play with these guys at the dining room table.

She loves bringing them out and creating all sorts of crazy weird robots.  They're like a really fun and easy DIY version of Mr. Potato Head!