Copper tape notebooking can be a fun way to integrate circuit building into a functional object that kids can have ownership of. Add collaging to that, and you’ve got a really cool product with an added element of creativity.

For those who don’t know, copper tape notebooking is when you add an LED (or multiples) to a notebook using a copper tape circuit. You can view a simple demo here. There are lots of other ways to “hack” your notebook as well, you can checkout the 21st Century Google + Community for more ideas.

 

 

I’ve found collage to be a very useful tool when working with kids. By allowing them to make something visual without having to draw (which can be intimidating for some), they are more loose with their creations. Often, they have an innate talent for creating really wonderful compositions, that they didn’t know they had. In the case of notebooking, it also allows for them to create narrative relationships between different images, and the light.

Have them mess around with the notebook once completed, turning it in different directions, putting it on it’s side, seeing how the light interacts with different shapes. See if it gives them ideas for multi-functional use, or for new projects all together!