New Project November: Makey Makey Wire Game

It's New Project November! Every week in November we are sharing new projects to try with your Makey Makey Invention Kit. Join us this week to make your own wire game! Share your own ideas on social with #NewProjectNov

New Project November

New Project November: a coat hanger wire game standing on cardboard, wired to a Makey Makey

This is a classic STEM game with a Makey Makey twist! Gather these supplies and let's get started!

Wire game supplies: a coat hanger, wire cutters, sandpaper, alligator clips, tape and the Get Up + Go Booster Kit

Get Up + Go Booster Kit

Extra long alligator clips, bracelet, and conductive tape

Coat Hanger or Wire
Sand paper (To remove coating on hanger)
Wire strippers or wire cutters
Adhesive (Glue gun or just use binder clips!
Cardboard (For the base)

Cut and Sand Wire

First, cut the hook off of your coat hanger, we will use this as handle in the game. Then straighten out the hanger sand until the coating is off. (The coating will insulate the metal and then your game won't be very fun!)

Pliers cutting the coat hanger wire

Metal is conductive, but most coat hangers have a coating that will insulate the wire. Make sure to sand so you can see the bare metal.

Sandpaper folded around the coat hanger wire to remove its coating

Test your hanger to see if you have sanded off enough coating by hooking up one end to an input on your Makey Makey and plugging another alligator clip to the EARTH row. Tap along the wire to see if you are getting a complete circuit. (The Makey Makey will light up if it detects a completed circuit. If you are new and need to start at the beginning before completing this project, check out this beginner guide.)

Testing the sanded wire: an alligator clip from the Makey Makey attached to the bare wire

Design and Build

If the main wire is working well, sand the hook on the coat hanger and test it against the main wire. This time plugging the main wire to a key press and plugging the hook to EARTH.

The wire hook and main wire each connected to the Makey Makey with alligator clips

If Makey Makey does not light up when pressing the hook to the main wire, sand it to ensure the coating is removed.

Once the hook is sanded properly, bend into a circular shape!

Pliers bending the sanded wire hook into a circle around the main wire

Plug and Play

Now that the hook is ready to go, bend your main wire into a fun shape that will make it difficult to have a steady hand for this wire game!

Plug to play!

App Choices

What do you want to happen when the hook makes a connection with the wire?

You can use our Counter app to count how many times the wire connects. Each time the counter goes up the pitch of the sound increases leading to a frenetic energy!

You could connect to the Scoreboard app, give the player 100 points to start, and then change one of the key presses to subtract points by clicking on the control panel and adjusting one of the key presses to subtract points at the value you desire.