No Hands - Classroom Reward Dispenser

No Hands - Classroom Reward Dispenser

This is a foot pedal operated lolly/small reward dispenser.

My boys are in Grade 4 and Grade 6. They are learning from home for now and decided to make something with materials they could find around the house. They made the dispenser after a bit of trial and error and some help from Mum and Dad. This was a fun and rewarding family challenge.

My youngest son also though it could be used it to dispense the dog's food.

For my boys this was a great demonstration of a counterweight project.

Supplies

Scrap Cardboard

Plastic Bottle

Straw

Pipe cleaner

Cardboard tube

2 Wooden Skewers

Suitable size box with lid

Metal washers/beads/weight

Ball of twine.

Tape.

Glue for cardboard.

Step 1:

Cut a length of packing cardboard.

Mark out into 5 equal lines. Fold the card back and forth along these lines to make a zig zag pattern.

Cut 2 equal squares of cardboard and attach to each end of the zig zag card with tape.

This will make up the foot pedal.

Step 2:

Punch holes in the 4 corners of the top and bottom card squares.

Run 2 lengths of twine through the bottom card and then tie off on the top card. Tie off just tight enough to keep the squares in place on the front edge. The back edge needs to be tied off smaller so as to create a slope.

Punch another hole in the top square about 1cm from the edge and in the middle of the front edge. This will be used to tie of the twine leading up to the box.

Step 3:

Using a plastic drink bottle cut the bottom off to the height that suits your box.

Tape around the top of the bottle to cover the sharp edges.

Punch a hole a small distance from the top on each side.

Cut a skewer and push this through the holes.

Punch another hole in at the top at the back of the bottle ready for a later step.

Step 4: Preparing the Box.

Punch 2 holes through the sides of the bottom of your box.

Cut two pieces of card shown in pink and glue them to the bottom, front of the box.

Cut a hole about in the bottom and front of the box.

Glue a straw going down through the front of the hole.

Step 5: Putting the Bottle Into the Box.

Using a pipe cleaner cut into small pieces.

Wind around a pencil 2 times. These will be used for washers to stop the bottle moving sideways on the skewer.

Time to put the bottle in place.

Push the skewer through the box then put a pipe cleaner washer on. Continue by pushing through the bottle on both sides, add another pipe cleaner washer and then push through the other side of the box.

See photo.

Step 6: Preparing the Counterweight

Cut a length of cardboard tube. It needs to be about 2cm higher than the bottom of the box. Punch 2 holes in the top on either side.

Add a weight -metal bead, washers, or sinker, to the end of the twine.

Drop the weight down the tube and then push the skewer through the holes so that the twine goes over the top and out the front. This stops the weight from being pulled out of the tube.

Glue the tube to the bottom of the box about 10cm behind the bottle.

Step 7: Attaching the Counterweight and Pedal.

Attach a long piece of twine to the pedal.

Thread up through the straw, across the top of the bottle and attach to the hole in the back of the bottle.

The twine needs to be just taut.

Next attach the twine from the counterweight to this twine. Again it needs to be just taut.

Load the bottle with the reward. In this case we have used Skittles.

Push the pedal down slowly and fully whilst holding a cup under the hole in the bottom of the box.

The reward, or in our case, Skittles will fall out.