Playing With Your Food Ala MaKey MaKey

Our January Instructables Build with MaKey MaKey started the way most MaKey MaKey builds probably start - hooking up fruits and veggies to make some sort of controller. It was a good way to get started with the kit, at the most basic, newbie friendly level, and while we've seen bananas used before, we thought the turnip was an inspired touch.

We used our produce assortment to play Space Invaders - sort of a new take on Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

• MaKey MaKey Kit
• Veggies
• Laptop
• Free Space Invaders game (http://www.mysteinbach.ca/game-zone/85/space-invaders/)- one option)

Follow basic set up instruction in the kit and found online in the Quick Start How-To

In a nutshell: Connect MaKey MaKey board via USB to laptop

• Connect yourself to ground (earth) - a ring works nicely, or an aluminum foil bracelet
• Connect your veggies/fruit of choice to the appropriate contacts on the MaKey MaKey board

Check the video game to see what controls you have available. For the online Space Invaders game, it's typically left and right arrow keys, and the space bar. So attach your food accordingly - just remember which is which!

It's a bit of a "pat your head rub your tummy" kind of experience, but playing Space Invaders with a turnip, banana and orange turned out to be pretty fun! It also makes a great intro to the MaKey MaKey kits for students and others trying understand how the kit works.