Atmos Flare hired us to try out their new 3D pen. We thought it was amazing! There are so many ways to use it for STEM activities and other engineering activities for kids.
3D is fascinating to me. I love the idea of sculpting and creating art in instant 3D. Until a few years ago, this idea seemed impossible. But now, kids (and adults) can use 3D gel pens to draw in 3D. When we were given the upcoming 3D pen by Atmos Flare, I could not have been more excited (and Monkey and Bo were pretty excited as well).
We tried it out and are here to report back to you!
What’s in the Atmos Flare 3D Pen Box
Our 3D pen came with:
- 3 ink writing tips
- 1 cleaning tip
- 1 3D gel pen
- 2 gel cartridges (blue and red)
How it Works
The 3D pen works on the same principle as other 3D pens that we have tried. There is a liquid gel that hardens when an UV light is shined on it. The lights on this pen are positioned to shine on the gel as it comes out of the pen, which makes it harden instantly so you can create 3D shapes in mid-air.
How it Compares to Other 3D Pens
The biggest difference between this 3D pen and the other 3D pen we tried is how fast the gel dries. The light shines directly on the gel, hardening it almost instantly. This enables children (and adults) to create 3D shapes instantly without having to wait a long time for the gel to dry.
Monkey, who tends to be impatient, loved how quickly the gel hardened when using this pen.
However, sometimes the fast dry time make it difficult to create a line. Sometimes the gel hardened on the tip of the pen, creating a bump in the gel and ruining a straight line. You could solve this problem by quickly turning the UV light on and off while working. With practice, this hiccup could easily be eliminated.
Ways to Use It
We focused mainly on engineering techniques for our trial. We learned how to set up 3D structures that are stable enough to hold weight on the top. Monkey and I worked together to create a statue, butterfly, and a palm tree.
However, the 3D pen is not just good for engineering projects. I thought of a lot of other ways to use it:
- Create 3D valentines to give to friends instead of candy.
- Make 3D Christmas ornaments
- Use it to re-create famous structures for history class.
- Use it to illustrate geometry concepts for math.
- Create your own customized school manipulatives.
- Make doll house furniture and decorations.
- Make play dishes.
- Mix with motor and electronic parts to create working vehicles.
- Use it in art class for basic sculpturing.
More Engineering Activity Ideas
