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The Science Museum in London has introduced a new free family workshop called "Game On" as part of their summer events programme. This interactive event, which took place from 25 July - 7 August (excluding 6 August), offers children aged 7 and over the chance to get creative with cardboard gaming controllers, thanks to the use of Makey Makey, an invention kit that turns everyday objects into touchpads.

Nicolette Chin, the Special Events Developer (Families and Accessible Programmes) at the Science Museum, oversees the workshops. The focus of these sessions is on a more tactile experience, rather than designing video games. Participants are given a blank cardboard shape of a gaming controller to decorate and embellish, before using conductive materials such as aluminum foil, play dough, or copper tape to create button areas on their cardboard controllers.

Once the controllers are built, they are connected to the Makey Makey board, an essential piece of equipment in these workshops. The board acts as a keyboard emulator, translating presses on the cardboard controller into key presses recognized by the computer in games like Pac-Man.

To connect the cardboard gaming controllers to the Makey Makey board, participants first attach alligator clips to the conductive button points on the cardboard. Each input corresponds to a keyboard key (e.g., arrow keys for Pac-Man’s movement). The ground wire of the Makey Makey is then connected to a conductive piece that the participants will hold or touch to complete the circuit.

Once the Makey Makey is plugged into the computer via USB, it will show up as a keyboard. Participants can then map the buttons they created to the keys used by their game. With everything set up, they can open Pac-Man or any compatible game that uses keyboard controls and control the game using their cardboard buttons.

The workshops run from 12.00-13.30 and 14.30-16.00 on weekdays, and 14.30-16.00 on weekends. Game On workshops are located opposite the Agriculture gallery, Floor 1. Places at these workshops are limited, so it's advisable to book in advance.

This creative blend of art and technology lets participants play Pac-Man and similar games with custom controllers made of everyday materials. For detailed instructions and inspiration, Makey Makey offers free guides and apps to build various controllers from cardboard and foil, making it easy and fun to get started with DIY gaming controllers.

In addition to creating cardboard gaming controllers, some participants even connected themselves and their parents to the circuit to play drums by high-fiving each other. This interactive event is not just about gaming but also about learning about circuits, conductivity, and user input design.

The Science Museum's "Game On" workshops provide a unique opportunity for children to explore the world of gaming in a fun and creative way. If you're in London during the summer, be sure to check them out and create your own cardboard gaming controller!

[1] Makey Makey: https://makeymakey.com/ [2] Game On Workshops: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_your_visit/whats_on/game_on_workshops [3] Pac-Man: https://www.pacman.com/

The Science Museum in London offers a unique opportunity for children to learn about circuits and user input design through creating cardboard gaming controllers, as part of their summer events program called "Game On".
The "Game On" workshops, which use Makey Makey invention kits, allow children aged 7 and over to decorate, embellish, and construct their own cardboard gaming controllers, which can be connected to a Makey Makey board and used to control games like Pac-Man.
In addition to gaming, the "Game On" workshops provide a fun and creative platform for learning about art, fashion, and beauty, food and drink, home and garden, travel, casino and gambling, sports, and weather, as participants can express their own personal style and interests in designing their controllers.
For a more immersive gaming experience, some participants even connected themselves and their parents to the circuit to play drums by high-fiving each other, demonstrating the versatility and creativity possible with DIY gaming controllers made from everyday materials.