TOY HACKING! Join us and help adapt toys for kids with disabilities!

Makers Making Change
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Play with toys, take them apart, and have fun soldering, plus you’ll be helping kids play too!

To be completed by: MARCH 20th, but sign up now as they go fast!
To Sign Up: Respond to this thread with the type and number of toys you commit to hacking.

Why Hack Toys?
Adapted toys for kids with disabilities are often very expensive. That’s why Makers Making Change has given VHS the opportunity to adapt some toys which will go to places like the Sunnyhill Lending Library for kids with disabilities.

What’s involved?
Just a few hours of your time, whenever you want, at vhs or at home.You’ll:

  • pick up toys and parts at VHS
  • follow instructions for hacking
  • take toys apart and put them back together
  • do some light soldering and wiring
  • place jacks for adapted switches that can be easily activated by kids
  • work at home or at vhs (note: vhs tools stay at vhs)
  • return completed toys to the VHS Furnace Room

But what if I can’t solder?
Don’t worry, we can get you started. Just respond to this thread if you’re interested.

And now…here are our toys!

sloths

2 X Fisherprice Smooth Moves Sloth

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2 X Leapfrog My Pal Scout Doll

octopus bubble machine

4 X Octopus/Unicorn Bubble Machine

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2 X Starmaster Projection Lamp

fibre-optic lamp
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4 X FiberOptic Lamp (new so no instructions but should be easy to add a jack)

As always a big thank you to everyone who participates! If you’d like to chat on slack come and join us in the Makers Making Change Channel.

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This is wonderful! I can commit to do 2 of the Starmaster Projection Lamps (or 2 of any of the toys, needs permitting!)

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Thank you so much @jwkai! That is amazing!!! The toys and parts are in the VHS furnace room so please feel free to start whenever works for you! Also come join us in the slack channel.

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@Tamara_VA7ETR is handling the sloths. Thank you so much - you’ve done a lot of these for us in the past.

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Hi and thanks all! If you pick up toys, dont forget to grab some female audio jacks in the bag by toys / from the MMC clear tote on the shelf in the furnace room!

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Here are some great videos of kids playing with adaptive toys, how toy adapting works, and how it can help kids, parents, and healthcare providers.

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IMG_1297
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  1. I setup a box to put the completed toys in…
  2. I grabbed the few remaining toys (except for the wands as they have no room for a jack)…
  3. You are almost out of jacks (bag is just about empty)…
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Will bring a bunch more jacks down. Mimi has a standoff she is working on for the Globes that would incorporate jacks so let’s leave that with her. Thanks a ton Bob!

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Just uploading files for the Scout hacks. It looks like the best way is to 3d print an enclosure. Here are some STL files and instructions. @packetbob is handling the builds but if anyone could print 3 cases that would be super helpful. If you want to use the space printer while you’re doing something else, there should be MMC PLA in the furnace room in the purple bag or thereabouts. (please just keep an eye on the printer while it’s running - thank you!)

Bear_Case_Lid.stl (1.1 MB)
Bear_Case_Base.stl (727.1 KB)
Scout Violet Switch Adapt Instructions.pdf (2.4 MB)

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This print job is being handled! Thanks @koopero!

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It’s looking like most toys are accounted for and being hacked. Thanks everyone! You are awesome and your offers of help are just wonderful! In the last few years we have made a huge number of devices for MMC.

Stay tuned for another upcoming build…likely involving switches.

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