Description: the sand-digger is a toy for use in a sand box or other area with easily moved substrate. The child using the toy sits on the seat, and can manipulate the end bucket by means of the two levers. The entire unit rotates about the post, thus allowing the user to pick up sand and move it to another place.

 

 

Principle: the main principle underlying this toy is the simple linkage connecting the handles to the bucket that holds the sand. By applying forces on the handles, and rotating about a fixed axis, this causes the different linkages to move in a manner useful in moving the substrate. While this concept may elude the user, the basic idea of manipulating one end of a device and getting different motions at the other end is the main idea of many devices.

Age Group: anyone above the age of 4-5. While a detailed understanding of the principles is not accessable at that age, the patience and feel for how it works would be.

Origin of Idea: this idea came to me from my childhood and fond memories of a similar toy. It was a lot of fun to dig a big hole on one side, and create a small mountain on the other. Later, you could just as easily fill it back in.

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