The new Code-a-Key Backpack! Bringing the Makey Makey and the BBC micro:bit together for more invention fun!

Best of 2021: Videos, Apps, Accessibility, and Community!

December 20, 2021

We wanted to take some time to reflect on 2021 and share a highlight reel of our top webinars, new apps, and most importantly some of the best new invention ideas and content created by YOU!

Top Video Content of 2021

In 2020 we focused on creating content for teachers to help with hybrid and at home resources. (See these amazing resources here: https://bit.ly/MakeyMakeyTeacher. This year we've continued to work on augmenting the Makey Makey experience by creating more in depth videos, adding new booster kits to our webshop, and created some AMAZING NEW APPS!

This year we made a new banana piano video for new inventors. If you haven't seen it, check it out:

Our other top videos this year are part of our Makey Makey Teacher Suite. This video on coding key presses with Scratch is part of our top five most watched videos this year!

Our Youtube channel had over 137,000 views this year which is actually half of our viewership of all time!

Amazing New Apps

We released 7 new apps this year! If you want an in depth look at each app, read the details on this blog post


Sampler App

In the spring of 2021, we designed and built our own Audio Sampler App because we saw the demand from the music community for a simple tool to be able to mix sounds and music with Makey Makey. Check out this full length tutorial to learn how to load sample packs, create a loop, upload or record your own sounds, and even save and export sample packs!

Make-A-Sketch

The Make-a-Sketch App is what it looks like. It is a digital version of your tried-and-true childhood magnetic doodling toy! 


Buzzer App

Want to make a Jeopardy-style quiz show for your classroom or maybe have a trivia night at home? With our new Buzzer App, you can easily build your own custom switches. Our app does all the work to see who buzzed in first!

New Booster Kits

We released new booster kits this year and we will have more out next year! Read more about them here

Webinar Highlight Reel

We had a webinar almost every month this year! Here are the top attended/viewed in case you missed it!

Hour of Code with Scratch

We had a great time in our last webinar of 2021 with Eric Rosenbaum from Scratch. If you missed it, click below for a recap!

Craft + Code Webinar

Another favorite webinar from our community this year was our debut of this new booster kit and the activities that accompany it.

Invention Literacy with Strawbees

Our partnership webinar with Strawbees was one of the most delightful webinars we experienced this year! You need to check it out if you missed it. 

Focusing on Accessibility

We made an effort to focus on accessibility in 2020 and 2021. Our partnership with Makers Making Change enabled us to showcase assistive tech devices you can build with Makey Makey. We held 3 project focused workshops with occupational therapist Katie Butzu and technology specialist Mark Lyons. They taught us how to create switch adaptive projects:

Our work with them has helped promote visibility on our how to page with our new resources for accessibility! Sort projects by chapter to see these accessibility resources for therapy professionals.

Invention Ideas from the Community

Katie Butzu

Disability professional Katie Butzu built this amazing interactive tree as a fundraiser for the tinsel tree challenge in her school district. She made switch adapted ornaments so that anyone can play music (with Makey Makey and our Sampler app) by touching ornaments on the tree!

This amazing tree raised funds for classroom!

Steph Eldridge

We were blown away with this training partner workshop by Steph Eldridge at Destination Exploration. Make sure to check out the post to see all of the teacher inventions!

 

 

Tyzo Bloom 

Makey Makey was even in the Rolling Stone this year with this viral hit by Tyzo Bloom.

 

@tyzobloom

The world I love...🌶🧡 #redhotchilipeppers #cantstop #chilipeppers #californication

♬ original sound - Tyzo Bloom

 

Jess Godwin

Jess Godwin made a whole series of amazing musical color videos with Makey Makey and interesting objects! They are all really amazing, so make sure to check out the blog post with all the videos!

 

 

 Fall River Middle School

These students ended school on a "high note." 

 

 

Dori Friedman

Dori inspired her students with this Makey Makey harmonica and we'd never seen a project like this before!

 

 

 See all of the amazing projects by her students here!

Infy Pathfinders

We held two amazing virtual institutes this year through our partnership with the Infosys Foundations.  Make sure to check out all of the projects made by teachers in our February Institute

 

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