E-textiles for kids!
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If you are old enough to remember LA Lights, you might not be surprised to hear that E-Textiles for kids is a huge up-and-coming market. What you may not realize is how easy it is to have your kids create them on their own!
There are many different ways to approach E-Textiles for kids, so be sure to find what looks like the best fit for your family. Some projects teach skills important to coding for kids. Some projects teach kids how to stitch a circuit. You really can find something for just about any age and any budget!
Read on to find out more about Easy E-Textiles for Kids!
Getting Started with E-Textile’s for Kids
Check out the different options for kits on SparkFun’s E-Textile Page or LilyPad Gallery. This will give you an overview of what is possible with E-Textiles for Kids. Everything from paper circuits to a protective airbag for bike-riders is possible!
Think about what your child can handle. If they are younger, sewing something like a Night Sky Halloween Costume might be a bit beyond them yet. It might be best to start off with some copper tape and Paper Circuits.
The basics you need are simple – a power source, a way to conduct electricity from one place to another, and a desired result like a light, or sound. Now, E-Textiles for kids can be as individual as the kids themselves, it is really up to them to decide what they want to tackle!
Once you have chosen a project:
You will need to decide if you need to purchase a kit from SparkFun. For anything with sensors, alternating lights, or that needs to be coded, you will probably want to purchase some kind of LilyPad.
LilyPad is a micro-processor that comes in many different variations for almost any E-Textile project your kids can come up with! Make sure you take a look through the Getting Started tutorial to learn more.
If you choose not to purchase a kit through SparkFun, you can find materials elsewhere, but the kits are super convenient!
After you have all the materials you need, you can get started on constructing! I always suggest “mocking up” or laying out your project before you start sewing. The nice thing about doing this is that you can make sure everything works before you put it all together. There is nothing worse than getting everything together only to discover you have to take it all apart because one of your LED lights doesn’t work!
After you do your “Mockup”, it’s time to get creating! I love any of the felt-based projects (like this Glowing Pin) for little ones. The felt is so forgiving, and you can use large, plastic kid-friendly needles.
The wonderful thing about E-Textiles for kids is that the projects encourage computational thinking, perseverance, and creativity all in one! As your child is completing their project, there will be difficulties they will have to overcome (the conductive thread is notorious for breaking if you pull it too hard) – but they will be so excited to see the finished product they will keep going!
After your child has finished the project:
Choose your next one! In all honesty, there is a reason that school Makerspaces can’t keep the materials for E-Textiles for kids on their shelves. These projects are not only addicting, they are inspiring! Every-day problems become challenges to solve with a LilyPad, some conductive thread, and whatever leftover Christmas lights can be found around the house!
Our Favourite E-Textile Projects For Kids:
As you and your child move through creating different projects, I would suggest the following projects in the following order:
- Paper Circuit Craft
This is just the easiest way to get started. It allows your child to learn more about how electricity works and how to be safe when working with circuits. - Felt Craft
The Glowing Pin, Light-Up Plush, or Illuminated Mask would all be good to get your child started with sewing. Just make sure you purchase enough parts so that you don’t have to take apart one craft to make the other – trust me, that will NOT go over well! - Use a pre-programmed LilyPad
The LilyTiny, LilyTwinkle, and LilyMini ProtoSnap are all pre-programmed to do what you need to do with no further coding necessary. These variations of the LilyPad will allow you to create things like a Light Up Pennant or a Twinkling Trick-or-Treat bag. - Program your own sequences with a LilyPad/Arduino mash-up
The Arduino micro-controller is a wonderful complement to the LilyPad system. To compare the different versions, check out this LilyPad Arduino tutorial.
This is really where Coding for Kids meets E-Textiles for kids. The ability to not only create whatever you want but make it behave the way you want it to through coding opens a whole new world to kids! Check out this LilyPad Safety Scarf – a concept dreamed up by a child walking home from a friend’s house!
There is no limit to what your child might come up with! E-textiles are so much more than light-up shoes! How will you introduce Easy E-Textiles to your kids? Which project will you try first?
Kate is mom of two rambunctious boys and a self-proclaimed super nerd. With a background in neuroscience, she is passionate about sharing her love of all things STEM with her kids. She loves to find creative ways to teach kids computer science and geek out about coding and math. She has authored several books on coding for kids which can be found at Hachette UK.
