Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 50

MAKE AN ARTICU LATED HAND We share our hands with around 300 other species of primate (not the spider monkey – they don’t have thumbs). Our hands are shorter and our thumbs are more powerful than the others’. For that reason we have the ability to make two grips that other primates can’t. The power grip is when we grasp something like a pen and use the thumb to strengthen and direct it. The precision grip is formed by the thumb and the finger pads, this also lets us accurately hold something like a ball between the thumb, index and middle finger. Let’s see if we can make a cardboard hand that can perform just as well. Our friends at Let’s Make Art are here to show us how. YOU WILL NEED • Strong, thick piece of cardboard big enough to draw around your hand and forearm plus an extra strip • Pen • Ruler • Scalpel or craft knife • Scissors • Silver or gold card or acrylic paint • Glue gun with glue stick (or some extra-strong craft glue) 1 4 Find a piece of cardboard big enough to draw around your hand and forearm, plus an extra strip. 2 Draw around your hand and forearm. If you want to make a right-handed articulated hand draw around your right hand and if you want to make a left-handed articulated hand draw around your left. Place your hand over the cardboard hand and mark where the joints on your fingers are. There are three on each finger and two on your thumb. 5 • Straws (we used bioplastic straws made from polylactic acid). Other alternatives include small sections of bamboo cane or small metal nuts from a hardware shop. • String 6 Use a ruler to press down on each line to make it easier to fold each joint. 7 Use a ruler to make your marks into lines across the fingers and thumb. 8 3 Use scissors and a craft knife to carefully cut out the shape you’ve drawn (ask an adult for help here if necessary). Gently bend each joint and you’ll begin to see your hand come to life. Turn your cardboard hand over and mark a vertical dash between each fold (three on each finger and two on the thumb).