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Description

Tidying up can be hard work! What if a miraculous mess machine could do all the dirty work? What would it be like?

Resources

Pens or pencils
A pot
Pens or paperclips
Big sheets of paper

Take it further
Everyone could use their designs to make a model (out of building toys or clean recycling); this could count towards the Creative Activity Badge.

Instructions

Before you begin
Fill a pot with pens or paperclips – the more you can fit in, the more effective it’ll be. Make sure the pot is one you don’t mind dropping on purpose!


Make a mess
1. Everyone should sit in a circle.
2. The person leading the activity should join the circle with a pot of pens or paperclips. Just before they sit down, they should drop the pot so the contents go everywhere.
3. Everyone should help to pick up the contents and put them back in the pot. People usually rush to help, but if they don’t, just encourage them to help you clear up.
4. The person leading the activity should thank everyone who helped them to tidy up. They should say it’s made them think: what if there were a mess machine to tidy up after people?
5. Everyone should talk together about the sort of messes they often have to tidy up – which one would they like a machine to do for them? People may think about untidy rooms, messy classrooms, or your meeting space after a craft activity or spot of baking. They may also think about leaves in a garden, muddy paw prints after a dog walk, or muddy sports equipment.


Design a mess machine
1. Everyone should split into pairs.
2. The person leading the activity should give each pair a big sheet of paper and some pens.
3. Each pair should work together to design and draw a mess machine. They should use all of the paper so their ideas are big enough to be seen – they may want to label their ideas. They should also come up with a name for their invention, and think about who might buy it and how much it might cost.
4. Pairs should join up to form small groups. Pairs should share their designs with others in their small group.


Reflection
This activity challenged everyone to come up with a creative solution to an everyday problem. Did people enjoy looking at each other’s ideas? One or two people should choose someone else’s design they liked – what did it do? Now everyone’s had a go at designing a machine: what advice would they give someone else who wanted to design a machine? All inventions start with a spark of an idea, then an inventor designs and makes them. Sometimes it can take years for an invention to be made… maybe one day a mess machine might exist! In the meantime, what inventions can people use? People may think about a broom, dustpan and brush, or vacuum cleaner.


Change the level of challenge
People could label the designs – they may need some help with the writing and spelling. People could also add in paper parts like flaps, or even make moving parts using split pins.

Tags

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Badge Links

• Skills - Problem solving
• Teamwork - Challenge