20 Makey Makey Projects for the Evil Genius

20 fun and inventive Makey Makey projects for Makers from beginner to expert

This hands-on guide is filled with DIY projects that show readers, step-by-step, how to start creating and making cool inventions with the Makey Makey invention kit. Each project features easy-to-follow, fully-illustrated instructions and detailed photographs of the finished gadget. Readers will see how to apply these skills and start building their own Makey Makey projects.

20 Makey Makey Projects for the Evil Genius starts off with very approachable introductory projects, making it a great starting point for beginners. It then builds to more challenging projects, allowing more experienced users to go further by incorporating technologies like Raspberry Pi, Processing and Scratch programming, 3D Printing, and creating wearable electronics with Makey Makey. Projects are divided into four categories: “Fun and Games,” Interactive,” Hacks and Pranks,” and “Makey Makey Go.”

* No prior programming or technical experience is required

* Basic enough for beginners, but challenging enough for advanced makers

* Written by two educators who believe in fostering creative innovation for all

Series: Evil Genius

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education TAB; 1 edition (July 12, 2017)

Language: English

Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.7 x 10.8 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds

Reviews

"Quite simply, this book is a must have for and educator or parent looking to help their Evil Geniuses. I loved the way each project was coded by difficulty. There is a broad range of projects for those new to Makey Makey and for veterans to this great piece of educational technology. Tools like Makey Makey can seem scary if you have never used it, but Colleen and Aaron have created step by step guides for each project that will make any user feel calm and collected.

The best way I could truly explain the value of this book is with an analogy featuring The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

20 Makey Makey Projects for the Evil Genius is Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. The book will guide you through the ups and downs of completing different projects, much like Sam helped Frodo through the Death Marshes on the way to Mordor. 20 Makey Makey Projects for the Evil Genius will help you defeat any fear you might have using code to create awesome projects, much like Sam defeated the evil spider Shelob who had paralyzed his good friend Frodo.

I highly encourage you to buy this book to expand your understanding of the great things Makey Makey can do for you and your children. Also, it might jus help you save Middle Earth."

- Nicholas Provenzano

"As a school librarian/media specialist, I follow Colleen & Aaron Graves on Instagram to get inspired by her awesome makerspace projects. I already own her makerspace book and was excited to see this one come out on Vine.

If you don't already know Makey Makey, it's relatively inexpensive, easy to learn, and lends itself to a multitude of projects. This is a great book to get more advanced and creative with your Makey Makey set. The table of contents is extensive with each project and then broken down into the different parts of that project, making it easy to skip to what step you are on. There are lots of color photos, the steps are easy to follow, and the Graves' keep things fun but helpful.

There are "bananas" at the start of each project to let you know how difficult the projects are. Since I am still working on my basic Makey Makey skills, I plan to start with a 1-banana project of putting an alarm on a cookie jar. Lots of Scratch is integrated into the projects and this is a good starter project not just for Makey Makey but also learning the basics of how to use Scratch to program your Makey Makey projects.

If you are a techie teacher, media specialist, digital leader, or just like Makey Makey, I highly recommend picking up this book, as well as following the authors' blog for some great ideas and inspiration."

- M. B.

About the Author

Colleen Graves is a high school librarian and blogger, obsessed with Learning Commons transformations, Makerspaces, technology education, making stuff, and getting girls involved in STEM. She offers the unique perspective of starting/creating two different makerspaces and Girl STEM groups in established public schools.

Aaron Graves is a school librarian with 15 years of experience. He is a mash-up of robot geek, book lover, and tech wizard. Aaron gained his perseverance for projects through collaborative and interactive art experiences as a member of the Good/Bad Art Collective.