Overview
Makey Makey Classic
Products
Grades 3–12
Grade Level
30 minutes
Time Required
Plug and Play
Category
Difficulty
CSTA Standards
CCSS Standards
Get started with Makey Makey! Learn how circuits work by creating banana bongos and a people piano. Explore conductivity, grounding, and how your body can complete a circuit.
Learning Goals
- Understand how Makey Makey completes a circuit
- Learn the role of grounding (EARTH) in a circuit
- Explore how the human body conducts electricity
- Build a people piano using alligator clips and friends
Materials & Preparation
Materials Needed
- Makey Makey kit
- Alligator clips
- Paper clips
- Cardboard
- Bananas (optional)
Preparation
Plug the Makey Makey into a computer via USB. Open the Makey Makey bongo app at apps.makeymakey.com/bongos. Ensure sound is turned on and the browser is focused on the app.
Build Activity — Step by Step
Get Grounded
Hold the Makey Makey at the EARTH bar. With your other hand, touch the space and left arrow contacts to play bongo sounds. You are a conductor!
No Earth? No Circuit!
Place the Makey Makey on a table and touch the contacts — nothing happens. Discuss why: your body is no longer connecting an input to EARTH.
Wired Earth
Connect an alligator clip to the EARTH row. Tap the metal end against the space or left arrow contacts to trigger bongo sounds.
Wired Input
Connect alligator clips to both EARTH and an input. Touch the metal ends together to complete the circuit and make sounds.
Team Bongo
One person holds the EARTH clip, another holds the input clip. High-five to complete the circuit — you are a human switch!
People Piano
Connect alligator clips to multiple inputs. Friends each hold a clip — the piano player holds EARTH and taps friends' hands to play notes!
Assessment
Students demonstrate their people piano, explaining how the circuit works, the role of EARTH, and why the human body can conduct electricity. Evaluate understanding of open vs. closed circuits.