At the beginning of the summer holidays, we partnered up with the Year of Engineering to share the new Holiday Makers Challenges. There’s been a new challenge for each week of the holidays and we’ve loved seeing lots of parents and kids joining in. My children enjoyed our chain reaction challenge so much they’ve been making them all summer!
The Year of Engineering is a government initiative aiming to shake-up people’s ideas about engineering, inspiring the next generation of innovators, inventors and problem solvers by showing them what engineers actually do. We can’t think of a better way to inspire the next generation than with these fun mini engineering projects.
This week, the challenge is to make a Robot Arm!
How to make a Robot Arm
We’ve really enjoyed making Robo Arms over the last few days, we have a spiderman arm a princess arm and a robot themed arm. I love that, as well as being a great engineering challenge, you can also be as creative as you want! They are a little bit fiddly, but the end result is worth persevering for.
You’ll need:
Thick cardboard – card from a cardboard box is perfect
Thin cardboard
2 paper straws cut into pieces about 1.5 cm long ( this depends on the size of your fingers )
String
Tape or glue – we used a hot glue gun – ask an adult to help if you use this method
Pencil
Scissors
Ruler
Instructions
Place your hand flat on the cardboard and draw around it.
Carefully cut out the hand shape.
Make 3 bends in each finger and stick a piece of straw in each. We used the top segment of each finger to attach the string, but you could have a segment of straw in the top segment if you’d rather. Maybe try both methods and see which works the best?
Make cardboard rings for each finger using the thin cardboard. You’ll also need a cardboard band which fits around the palm of your hand.
Glue or tie one end of the string to each cardboard ring and the other end to the top of the same finger on your cardboard hand.
 Place the band around your wrist and slot the cardboard hand behind. Attach a cardboard ring to each finger and test your Robo Arm.
Robot Arm Challenge
Can you decorate your arm?
We made a princess/fairy arm and a Spider-Man arm!
If you enjoyed this activity, you’ll love my full collection of engineering challenges for kids!
Post in collaboration with the Year of Engineering
Last Updated on July 2, 2025 by Emma Vanstone
What a great challenge, this is right up your street. I love the spidey version. Mich x
We love that one too!
What an awesome idea for kids to be able to make – I love that you can paint it how you want as well and really make it your own robo arm! Awesome idea.
It’s fab isn’t it?
This looks great and like it’s a lot of fun to make. I love crafts and can’t wait till my niece is old enough to start making crafts together! x
Ah my daughter would love this! What a fabulous idea, we will have a go at one of these 🙂
Let us know if you try it!
This is so cool! I’m going to show the kids this and get them making them! x
Make sure you show us if you give it a go!
This looks interesting. My friends kids would love this
This is such a cool science craft for…well…not just the kids as I want to make one myself!
We have been loving the year of engineering experiments and this looks so cool – going to try this at the weekend