Maker Activity: ReBands Foot Fidget Bands
MATERIALS: Bicycle inner tubes and scissors
Optional: Sharpie pens and/or oil pastels to decorate your own
Plan view image shows how to wrap a standard size inner tube to fit snuggly around chair legs.
Procedure:
Hand out “When the Rubber Leaves the Road—Don’t Toss That Tube!” and read aloud. For classrooms with older children, have them read it silently to themselves.
After they have finished reading it, together list the phases in the product lifecycle.
Ask them why might rubber not disappear as quickly as other types of trash, like food or paper.
Tell students that “Microplastics” are the breaking up of synthetic materials, like plastic and rubber, into smaller and smaller pieces and because they are not natural and do not biodegrade we want to avoid this.
See additional detailed info sheet for teachers:
Techniques for Bike Tube Rubber (pdf)
ReBands are flexible, foot-tapping, fidget bands upcycled from waste bicycle inner tubes. The valve stems are removed so that the inner tube can be used in its uncut form to wrap around elementary school chair legs and give fidgety kids something for their feet to engage with and get out extra energy.
Preparation by adult with student or in advance
Pierce near the valve stem with scissors and cut around the stem on the thick area to remove it leaving the thick part surrounding it for strength
Wash tube
Wrap rubber inner tube ReBand around chair legs
Students can personalize their own fidget bands by drawing on them or by attaching cut rubber pieces to them
The tubes can be drawn on with metallic sharpies or oil pastels before wrapping chair legs
Added decorative pieces cut out from rubber can be tied to the bands after placement on the chair