Makey Makey

Makey Makey is a creative electronics kit that transforms bananas, aluminum foil, or even water into computer keys and controllers. It works by completing simple circuits through touch, making it a favorite for hands-on, inventive, and accessible projects.

⚙️ How to Use Makey Makey

Connect the Makey Makey board to your computer via USB.
Clip alligator wires to conductive materials (like fruit, coins, or foil).
Open any program (like Scratch or Tynker) or just use the keyboard.
Touch the object — it behaves like pressing a key (arrow, space, etc.).

💡 You do not need to write code to get started. But combining it with Scratch or Arduino opens even more possibilities.

📦 Recommended Software

Scratch (block-based programming)
Makey Makey Lab Apps
Google Slides, YouTube, or music websites for interactive demos

🎓 What Students Have Created with Makey Makey

🥭 Fruit Rain

Players catch falling fruit using real fruit as controls. Built with Scratch + banana-based input pads.

🚗 Makey’s Race

A physical racing game where students control cars using aluminum-wrapped cardboard buttons.

🧟 Monster Makey

An interactive storytelling project where each character is triggered by a physical object.

🧠 Meet Your Makey

Students designed a quiz game that responds to touch on different drawings using graphite and Makey Makey.

🛠️ Space Mechanic

A sci-fi puzzle game that blends Makey Makey controls with a screen-based interface, where players fix broken ship systems using real-world switches.

Makey Makey encourages creativity, tangibility, and accessibility. It’s often a first step into physical computing and prototyping in TAP classes, empowering students to invent fun, inclusive tech experiences.

TAP Projects Using This Technology

FALL 2019: Meet Your Makey

SPRING 2020: Makey's Race

SPRING 2023: Fruit Rain

FALL 2023: Monster Makey

SPRING 2024: Space Mechanic