Fun Kitronik Halloween Project Ideas

2018-10-25 | By Kitronik Maker

License: See Original Project Programmers micro:bit

Courtesy of Kitronik

Halloween is fast becoming our favorite time of year as it really lends itself perfectly to fun and creative projects that allow you indulge your imagination and break out the making tools.

Figure 1a

This year we've got a range of fun and creative projects to help make your Halloween a memorable one. We've got fancy dress modifications, fancy dress props, moving Halloween decorations, and some great Halloween themed add-ons for the Kitronik :MOVE mini.

Fun Kitronik Halloween 2017 Project Ideas:

We've tried to create a balanced mix of projects that cover a lot of the different facets of design and technology. We've got projects requiring coding, soldering, laser cutting, 3D printing, modifying garments, and creating add-ons for your fancy dress outfits. Hopefully, something for everyone. Each of the overviews below link to more detailed tutorials that contain step by step instructions and design file and code downloads.

The Projects:

BBC micro:bit Powered Halo-ween Fancy Dress.
microbit Powered Halo-ween Ironman Arc Reactor.
:MOVE mini Halloween Ghost & Pumpkin Shells.
:MOVE mini Servo Powered Halloween Add-ons.
Last Years Project Ideas.

BBC micro:bit Powered Halo-ween Fancy Dress:

This one is definitely an activity that the whole family can get involved in and that can be used to create more interesting costumes for parties and/or trick or treat. Kitronik Director, Kevin Spurr broke out the needle and thread and set about modifying Some Halloween costumes for himself and his Daughter Neve to wear.

Kevin used a Kitronik ZIP Halo, a microbit, and some flexible ZIP LED strips to add some very effective lighting to their outfits. Neve's hat was decorated with the flexible LED strips and the front of her dress was modified to accommodate the ZIP Halo.

If you would like to learn how to make your own, Kevin wrote a step by step guide to show you how Neve's outfit was created.

BBC micro:bit Powered Halo-ween Fancy Dress Step By Step.

microbit Powered Halo-ween Ironman Arc Reactor:

A bit of facial hair (real or stick on), a pair of sunglasses, some clothes, and an Arc Reactor are all you need for the perfect Tony Stark costume. James, our product designer, has designed not one but two very authentic looking Arc Reactors! The first Arc Reactor is modelled on the Reactor that featured in the first Ironman movie, in the second movie the Reactor got upgraded and James modelled and made one of those too!

Both designs were 3D printed and both used a ZIP Halo for the BBC microbit and a ZIP Circle to provide the lighting. Once made they can either be used to add the finishing touch to your Ironman suit or worn under your clothing if you plan to go as Tony Stark.

If you would like to learn how to make your own, James wrote a step by step guide to show you how.

microbit Powered Halo-ween Ironman Arc Reactor Step By Step.

:MOVE mini Halloween Ghost & Pumpkin Shells:

James got back behind the wheel of Fusion 360 to create some fantastic Halloween themed shells that can be attached to a :MOVE mini that makes for a great mobile or lit up ornament. You could code it to drive up and down a windowsill autonomously or even code it for remote control and then chase people around the house with it!

We love the :MOVE mini for the BBC microbit, there is so much you do with them via the magic of code. Sit down, write some code and it instantly becomes something else. But that fact that it lends itself to physical modding is especially exciting.

If you would like to learn how to make your own, we have a resource that shows you how.

:Move mini Halloween Ghost & Pumpkin Shells Resources

:MOVE mini Servo Powered Halloween Add-ons:

For the last of this year's projects, we've got some great servo powered add-on ideas for :MOVE mini. We've designed 5 ghastly weapons which you can cut from Perspex sheets that will transform :MOVE mini into an evil Halloween killbot. They can be used for all sorts of competitive fun or you can code them to be the centrepiece of a Halloween display.

All of the weapons are to be cut from the material of your choice using the files provided and we also show you how to fit them to the chassis and how to write the code for the extra servo. So if you have access to a laser cutter and a want a quick and easy project, this is the one for you.

If you would like to learn how to make your own, we have a resource that shows you how.

: MOVE mini Servo Powered Halloween Add-ons Resources.

Halloween 2016 Project Ideas:

Last year we shared a number of great project ideas that you may have missed, so we've tagged them on the end here as you may wish to have go at making them this year. We had a laser cut and servo assisted bat, some flicker boxes, a 3D printed pumpkin, and a waving skeleton.

You can check out last years ideas here.