Clock making

Recently, the boys discovered Cyberchase. I've tried to watch it with them on PBS, but it was on Netflix that they wanted to watch it.

There are only 3 episodes available on Netflix, but one is fro season 4: "A Crinkle in Time".

In the episode, our intrepid mathematics-using heroes are sent to Ticktockia, a land of clocks. They use gears to solve puzzles. In the Cyberchase For Real segment, Bianca learns how the gears on a multi-speed bike work.

Wil was enthralled. He drew and cut out Ticktockians. And asked if we had any gears. He wanted to see the inside of a clock.

I found a clock-making kit on Think Geek.

Guess what arrived today? Yep, the clock-making kit.

Guess what Chris and the boys did after dinner?

If you said built a clock, you are correct.

They built the clock. I forgot to take pictures while they were putting the gears in, but the boys had a lot of fun - all three of them.

Sam adding the hands.

 They followed the directions, putting each piece in.

Wil finishing the hands.

They wound the clock when it was done. The look at pride and delight on Wil's face was priceless. 

Wil really liked putting the clock together. He followed the flow of movement, from the pendulum, to the first gear, to the second. Some move to slowly, he couldn't see their movement, but we traced how each gear turned the next.

Finished clock!

He enjoyed this so much, I won't be surprised if he starts taking clocks and radios and toasters apart in a few years to see how they work. Will we end up cruising garage sales for tinkering toys?

Oh, and while I was shopping at Think Geek, I found a stuffed Cthulhu for Sam. What could be a better way to end an evening than with a boy and his elder god?

Sam and Cthulhu.