"Lastic" - a simple rubber band and fingers device to fight mobile phone addiction



I'm trying to get more son to do something else other than exercising his two thumbs on the mobile phone and pressing Xiaomi TV remote controller. Suddenly a childhood memory rushed back into my mind. The photo below is a simple rubber band plus paper "bullets" hand-held "device" that I taught my son how to build yesterday.

As a kid, we used to call it "lastic"... a shortened word from elastic.

As a kid, we used to call it "lastic"... a shortened word from elastic.

"Lastic"


All you need is a piece of rubber band and few pieces of paper. To make the paper bullet, you just roll it or fold it up into something like below:


"Lastic" paper bullets

"Lastic" paper bullets

After that, I teach my son on how to launch the bullets, what and where to aim the bullets. I specifically told him not to aim at any living creatures and his sister's face/body.
In fact, I told him that this will help in calibrating his eyes and hands co-ordination. Later in life, this skill will help him in ping-pong and badminton game.


teaching my son how to aim and launch the paper bullets

teaching my son how to aim and launch the paper bullets


He is actively shooting his rubber bullets at the target board with scores. Hopefully, he will continue playing this game for a while until he gets bored. By then, I will teach him how to upgrade his "lastic" into a proper hand-held device with tree branches and later on upgrade to a proper slingshot.


sling shot

Sling shot

References:

http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/2006/03/toys-were-us-2-lastic-by-chuck-hio.html

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/elastic

  See also : Honestly speaking. I am Hokkien educated



By Adam Ng(黃武俊)

IF you gain some knowledge or the information here solved your programming problem. Please consider donating to the less fortunate or some charities that you like. Apart from donation, planting trees, volunteering or reducing your carbon footprint will be great too.


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