How to Make a Simple Robot Out of Reusable Items

Kids can make a whimsical robot out of recyclables.

If your child enjoys playing with robots during pretend play, you can make their imaginative play more exciting by showing them how to construct a toy robot using items that can be found around the house. This can allow your child to personalize and customize their toy robot to make it exactly how they envisioned. You can use any recyclable item that you prefer to make the robot, such as cardboard boxes and aluminum cans.

Things You'll Need

• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue stick
• Cardboard boxes, various sizes and shapes
• Aluminum duct tubing
• Aluminum cans
• Metallic spray paint

Instructions

1. Push a hot glue stick into a hot glue gun, then plug the glue gun into an electrical outlet to allow it to heat up for 10 minutes. This will melt the hot glue stick inside the gun so that it can be squeezed out of the tip.

2. Select a few cardboard boxes that you want to use for the robot, and stack them on top of each other. Squeeze hot glue onto the areas where the boxes touch, then hold the boxes in place for three minutes until the hot glue cools and hardens. This will secure the stacked boxes on top of each other. This will be the robot's body.

3. Squeeze a line of hot glue onto the circumference of a piece of aluminum ductwork, or tubing, and press the glued end onto the side of the cardboard structure. Hold the duct tubing into place for three minutes to allow the glue to harden. This will be one of the robot's arms. Repeat as many times as you prefer to add on the rest of the robot's arms.

4. Squeeze hot glue around the top of a used soda can, and press the can onto the surface of the cardboard. Place the can in any location you prefer. Hold the can in place for three minutes. Repeat this process to add on as many soda cans as you like, which can act as the robot's buttons or gears.

5. Spray the entire robot structure with metallic spray paint. Allow the paint to dry for 30 minutes. Painting the robot with metallic paint will make it look like it is made of metal.