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WHAT IS KARAKURI?
Originated in Japan, Karakuri is an art of making paper toys that move using simple mechanisms such as gears, cranks, cams, and lever etc. Robots, one of the pinnacles of scientific development today, are made up of various karakuri-like mechanisms.
Building a Karakuri toy with your own hands is a blend of science, technology, engineering, art and craft, and math making it a perfect example of STEAM education. With Karakuri toys, you can experience the joy of making something of your own that you can play with and have fun. We hope children as well as grown-ups will find a joy in making your own movable paper toys.
KARAKURI TEMPLATES
ABOUT KARAKURI
‘Karakuri’ also known as ‘Automata’, means some mechanism, machinery or trick without the use of computers. The key point here is some kind of mechanical trickery. It involves some creative thought based on an understanding of how mechanisms convert one kind of movement to another.
Karakuri toys create a sense of curiosity in our minds and we wonder how it really works. There is an element of surprise and we keep guessing how can there be a movement in the toy when we are simply rotating a handle? There is no magic and Karakuri toys simply work on the basic principles of engineering and some of the simplest mechanisms. We can call our Karakuri toy a small machine generating some kind of movement, when a small force is applied over its handle.
Testimonial for the book by Dr. Swati Popat Vats, President of Early Childhood Association (ECA) and Association for Primary Education and Research (APER)