50 Project Ideas for Students and Classrooms

How to pick a project

Every idea card shows the parts it uses, one of the three labels below, and the lessons that teach it. The highest lesson number tells you when your class is ready. Automatic rules are taught in lessons 21 to 28.

No code

You build it in the browser dashboard. You watch readings, flip switches, or make a rule like "if it gets dark, turn on the light". 43 of the 50 ideas work this way, and you can try a rule just below.

Needs Arduino code

You write your own program for the board in the Arduino IDE. The 32 lessons do not teach this, so try these after the lessons. Your program replaces the MakerBuddy software until you upload it again.

Needs extra parts

You need a part that is not in the box, such as a small low-voltage water pump. Only 2 of the 50 ideas need one.

Try a ready-made rule:

Your rule

IfSensorisAbove or belowNumber, in %%,thenAction.

What the light sensor reads now60%

Drag the slider. It stands in for a real sensor reading.

What the board does

The rule is waiting. Blue light: Off.

The light level is 60%. That is not below 20%, so the rule does nothing yet.

Blue lightOff

This is a model of the idea. On the kit you build the same rule in the dashboard's Rule Engine. Lesson 26 builds rules like this.

What you build with

Built into the board

A blue light, a colour-changing light, a push button, a light sensor, a buzzer (it plays one tone) and a turning knob.

Plugs into the board

A temperature and humidity sensor, a waterproof temperature probe, a distance sensor, a motion sensor, a smoke and gas sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a servo motor, a relay switch and a text screen. The kit photo at the top also shows cables, a small bulb, a small fan, craft sticks and a screwdriver.

You also need

A computer with Chrome, Edge or Firefox and the free MakerBuddy extension, or Safari on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. Also 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (a phone hotspot works), a micro-USB cable and a 5 V USB charger.

Find a project

Pick a group, pick a part you have, or search. Each card lists its parts, says if it needs code, and links to the lessons that teach it.

Uses this part

Our class has finished

Pick the last lesson your class finished, and each card will say if your class is ready for it.

Showing 50 of 50 ideas

First builds10 ideas

Quick first builds. One part senses something, and one part reacts.

Smart Night Light

No code

The board's blue light turns on by itself when the room gets dark. Try a few dark levels, and find out why the best level changes from room to room.

Uses

Lessons 4, 7 and 26

Doorbell

No code

Press the board's button and the buzzer plays a short beep-beep pattern. Choose a pattern that sounds different from other alarms.

Hold the button for about a second, because the board checks it once a second.

Uses

Lessons 6, 8, 22 and 26

Distance Warning

No code

The buzzer beeps slowly when something comes close, and fast when it is too close. You make one rule for each distance.

Uses

Lessons 8, 12, 26 and 27

Room Thermometer

No code

Read the room temperature on the dashboard. Write it down every hour for a day, and look for changes caused by sun or open windows.

Uses

Lessons 10 and 16

Knob Dimmer

No code

Turn the board's knob to make the blue light brighter or dimmer. Then explain how the board dims a light by switching it on and off very fast.

Uses

Lessons 4 and 9

Colour Mixer

No code

Move the red, green and blue sliders on the dashboard to mix new colours. Write down the three numbers for colours you like, so you can make them again.

Uses

Lesson 5

Servo Wiper

No code

Make the servo motor swing back and forth like a car's windscreen wiper. Change how far it swings and how fast it moves in the rule editor.

Uses

Lessons 14 and 23

Pedestrian Light

No code

A crossing light shows red, yellow, then green, each for a set time, and beeps when it is safe to cross. Do it by hand on the dashboard first, then as an automatic rule.

Uses

Lessons 5, 8 and 22

Motion Alarm

No code

When the motion sensor sees movement, the buzzer sounds and the blue light flashes. Walk past it to find out how far away it can see you.

Uses

Lessons 4, 8, 13 and 26

Reaction Timer

Needs Arduino code

The blue light turns on at a random moment, and the player presses the button as fast as they can. Talk about why one press can sometimes count as several.

Lesson 6 plans this game on paper. Timing a press needs your own code, because the dashboard checks the button once a second.

Uses

Lessons 4 and 6

Smart home10 ideas

Make a room react by itself: a fan, a lamp or an alarm turns on when it is needed.

Auto-Fan

No code

When the room gets warmer than a level you choose, the relay turns on a small fan. A second rule turns it off when the room cools down.

Relay: low-voltage things only. Never connect mains electricity.

Uses

Lessons 10, 15 and 26

Dusk Lamp

No code

When the light level drops at dusk, the relay turns on a small bulb. To switch the bulb by hand, stop the rule first, then use the relay switch on the dashboard.

Relay: low-voltage things only. Never connect mains electricity.

Uses

Lessons 7, 15 and 26

Kitchen Gas Alert (practice model)

No code

Watch the gas number on the dashboard and make two rules. The first gives a slow beep when the number rises, and the second gives a fast beep and a red light when it rises more.

A learning model. It does not replace a real smoke or gas alarm.

Uses

Lessons 5, 8, 17, 27 and 28

Garden Auto-Waterer

No codeNeeds extra parts: a small low-voltage water pump or valve

When the soil sensor reads too dry, the relay switches on a small water pump or valve. A second rule switches it off when the soil is wet again.

Relay: low-voltage things only. Never connect mains electricity.

Uses

Lessons 15, 18 and 26

Intruder Alert

No code

When the motion sensor sees movement, the buzzer sounds and the text screen shows "Someone came in!". The board has no clock, so write the time in a logbook.

Uses

Lessons 8, 13, 19 and 26

Privacy Status

No code

A "Busy" rule turns the colour light red and shows "Do not disturb" on the text screen. A "Free" rule shows green and "Come in", and you start the one you need from the dashboard.

Uses

Lessons 5, 19 and 22

Wake-Up Light

No code

A rule makes the blue light brighter step by step, for example 10 steps over 10 minutes, like a sunrise. You start it yourself, because the board has no clock and cannot wake you at a set time.

Uses

Lessons 4 and 22

Garage Park Assist

No code

The colour light turns green, then yellow, then red as a car gets closer to the wall. The car stops in the same spot every time.

Uses

Step-by-step guide: Smart Car Parking Garage (opens Hackster.io in a new tab)

Lessons 5, 12 and 27

Temperature Diary

No code

Read the temperature and humidity every 5 minutes and write them in a table. Then draw the trend as a graph, on paper or in a spreadsheet.

Uses

Lessons 10 and 16

Visitor Counter

Needs Arduino code

Add 1 each time the motion sensor turns on, and show the total on the text screen. It counts movements, not exact people.

Uses

Lessons 13 and 19

Phone and laptop10 ideas

Watch and control your build from a browser on the same Wi-Fi as the board.

Phone Light Switch

No code

Turn the blue light or the relay on and off from a phone on the same Wi-Fi as the board. On an iPhone or iPad, open the web app in Safari.

Relay: low-voltage things only. Never connect mains electricity.
Android phones cannot do this yet. Chrome and Firefox ask for a computer extension, and the phone app is not in the app stores yet, so use a laptop.

Uses

Lessons 3, 4 and 15

Mini Weather Station

No code

Show your room's temperature and humidity on the dashboard. Compare them with a weather app for your city, and explain the difference.

Uses

Lessons 3 and 10

Pet Feeder

No code

Open a flap with the servo motor from the dashboard, or use a Timer rule that opens it every few hours. The board has no clock, so it cannot feed at a set time like 8 am.

Uses

Step-by-step guide: Smart Pet Feeder (opens Hackster.io in a new tab)

Lessons 14 and 25

Motion Email Alert

Needs code on a computer

A small program on a computer reads the motion sensor from the board and sends you an email. The board itself cannot send email.

The board's web connection has no password. Use it only on a Wi-Fi network you trust, and never open it to the internet.

Uses

Lesson 13

Mood Lighting

No code

Mix a colour with the sliders on the dashboard. Or make a rule that cycles through the built-in rule colours: red, green, blue, yellow, purple, cyan and white.

Uses

Lessons 5 and 23

Door Status Checker

No code

Point the distance sensor at a door: a short distance means closed, and a long one means open. A rule shows "Door open" on the text screen, and the dashboard shows the distance.

Uses

Lessons 12, 19 and 26

Silent Notifier

No code

Press the button and the blue light flashes a pattern instead of beeping. Use it as a silent doorbell in a library, or in a room where noise is a problem.

Uses

Lessons 4, 6, 22 and 26

Baby Room Monitor

No code

Watch the temperature and any movement in a room together, on one dashboard screen. Decide which readings would mean the room needs checking.

A learning project. Never use it in place of a real baby monitor.

Uses

Lessons 3, 10 and 13

Gas Traffic Light

No code

Three rules turn the colour light green, yellow or red as the gas number rises. Watch the number on the dashboard first, to choose your levels.

A learning model. It does not replace a real smoke or gas alarm.

Uses

Lessons 5, 17, 27 and 28

Holiday Light Show

No code

One rule with up to 10 steps changes colours and switches a small bulb on and off in time. Start and stop the show from the dashboard.

Relay: low-voltage things only. Never connect mains electricity.

Uses

Lessons 5, 15, 22 and 23

Science and nature10 ideas

Measure, compare, and explain what the numbers mean.

Plant Thirst Tracker

No code

Set "dry" and "wet" with the soil sensor's calibration. When the soil gets too dry, a light or a beep reminds you to water the plant.

Uses

Lessons 18 and 26

Air Quality Lab

No code

Compare the gas number in different rooms, or at different times of day. Then talk about what a low-cost gas sensor can and cannot tell you.

Uses

Lesson 17

Insulation Tester

No code

Put the waterproof temperature probe in a cup of warm water, and note the temperature every few minutes. Wrap the cup in different materials to find which one keeps the water warm longest.

Use warm water, not hot water.

Uses

Lesson 11

Shadow Detector

No code

The buzzer beeps when a shadow passes over the light sensor. Find out how dark a shadow must be before the board notices it.

The board checks the light once a second, so a very quick shadow can be missed. Counting shadows needs your own Arduino code.

Uses

Lessons 7, 8 and 26

Human Reflex Test

Needs Arduino code

Run many reaction trials with a light that turns on at a random moment. Record each time, and compare the average times of different players.

Uses

Lessons 4 and 6

Wet or Dry Lab

No code

Push the soil sensor's blade into sand, soil and sawdust with different amounts of water. Compare the moisture numbers, and put the materials in order from driest to wettest.

Push the blade in only up to the line printed on it.

Uses

Lesson 18

Height Measure

No code

Point the distance sensor down to measure how tall something is, or how full a box is. Show the distance in centimetres on the text screen.

The distance sensor works from about 2 cm to 4 m.

Uses

Step-by-step guide: DIY Vernier Caliper (opens Hackster.io in a new tab)

Lessons 12 and 19

Room Mapping

No code

Turn the servo to 0°, 30°, 60° and so on from the dashboard, and write down the distance at each angle. Plot the points on paper to draw a map of the room.

An automatic map needs your own Arduino code.

Uses

Lessons 12 and 14

Dew Point Calculator

No code

Read the temperature and humidity, then work out the dew point by hand with a simple formula. Explain each step, and check your answer with an online calculator.

Uses

Lesson 10

Compost Monitor

No code

Push the waterproof temperature probe and the soil sensor into a compost pile. Use the two readings to decide when the pile needs turning or water.

Uses

Lessons 11 and 18

Games and fun9 ideas

Use the same parts to make games and toys.

Fortune Teller

No code

Press the button and the text screen shows a fortune for a few seconds. Write the fortune in the rule editor.

A different, random fortune each time needs your own Arduino code.

Uses

Lessons 6, 19 and 26

Memory Game

Needs Arduino code

The board flashes a pattern of colours and beeps. The player repeats it with the button, and the pattern gets longer each round.

Uses

Lessons 5, 6 and 8

Distance Beeper

No code

The closer your hand, the faster the buzzer beeps. Use two or three rules, one for each distance.

The buzzer plays one tone, so it cannot change pitch.

Uses

Lessons 8, 12, 26 and 27

Reflex Duel

Needs Arduino codeNeeds extra parts: a second push button

Two players race to press their own button. The text screen names the winner.

Uses

Lessons 6 and 19

Digital Pet

No code

When the motion sensor sees you, the text screen shows a happy face and the buzzer beeps hello. When nobody is near, a second rule shows a sad face.

Uses

Lessons 8, 13, 19 and 26

Safe Cracker

No code

Turn the board's knob like the dial on a safe. When it lands in the secret range, the text screen says "Open!".

Uses

Lessons 9, 19 and 27

Hot Potato

Needs Arduino code

Players pass the board around and press the button. The buzzer goes off at a random moment, and whoever holds the board then is out.

Uses

Lessons 6 and 8

Team Quiz Buzzer

No code

Each team has its own board. Pressing the button makes the buzzer beep and the colour light show the team's colour.

Hold the button for about a second, because the board checks it once a second.

Uses

Lessons 5, 6, 8 and 26

Servo Angle Challenge

No code

Make the servo turn to a list of angles, one after another (up to 10). Check each angle with a protractor, and see how close it gets.

Uses

Lessons 14 and 22

Final challenge1 idea

A bigger build that uses several sensors and outputs at once.

Shadow Alarm

No code

Use the light sensor and the motion sensor together. If a shadow crosses the light or something moves, the buzzer sounds, the blue light flashes and the text screen shows a warning.

Plan it like the capstone project in lesson 31: list every rule before you build.

Uses

Lessons 4, 7, 8, 13, 19, 27 and 31

10 builds with step-by-step guides

These ten MakerBuddy builds have full step-by-step guides on Hackster.io. They are finished models, so they also show what a class can make with the kit.

Smart home
Automatic Water Dispenser: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
A touchless dispenser: a sensor spots a hand, and the relay switches on a small water pump that you buy separately.
Smart home
Smart Car Parking Garage: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
A sensor spots an approaching car, the servo opens the garage door, and the board shows when it is clear to drive in.
Smart home
Smart Automatic Clothesline: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
When the soil moisture sensor gets wet with rain, the servo moves the model clothes under cover.
Smart home
Smart Automatic Door: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
The distance sensor spots someone coming, and the servo opens a model door.
Science and nature
Wet & Dry Smart Dustbin: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
The distance and moisture sensors work together to sort wet and dry waste into separate bins.
Science and nature
DIY Vernier Caliper: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
A no-code distance meter that shows centimetres on the text screen.
Smart home
Smart Touchless Dustbin: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
The distance sensor spots a hand, and the servo opens the dustbin lid without a touch.
Smart home
Smart Pet Feeder: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
When the motion sensor sees your pet, the servo opens and lets out a small portion of food.
Games and fun
Automatic Pakistan Flag Waver: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
For Independence Day: the servo waves a flag while the colour light glows and the text screen shows a message.
Science and nature
DIY Analog Temperature Gauge: step-by-step guide on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)
The servo moves a pointer on a dial to show the temperature from the waterproof probe.

MakerBuddy on Hackster.io (opens in a new tab)

Plan your project

Answer these seven questions before you start. Testing gets easier, and you have something clear to show. Pick an idea to fill in the first answers. Nothing you type is saved or sent.

Start from an idea (optional)

Project name

1What problem does it solve, and for whom?
2What will it sense?
3When should it react?
For example: above 30 °C, or when someone comes closer than 20 cm.
4What will it do?
Light up, beep, move or show text.
5How will you keep it safe and respect privacy?
6How will you test it, and how will you know it works?
7What did you find, what does not work yet, and what would you add next?

Lesson 31, Capstone Project Design & Troubleshooting, plans a bigger project the same way. Lesson 32 is the MakerBuddy Expo, where students show what they built.

Need help with a build?

The lessons, this project library and the documentation are free to read, with or without a kit. If a build does not work, here is where to ask.

Ask the community

Ask other makers in the MakerBuddy WhatsApp Community (opens in a new tab).

Email us

Write to info@makerbuddy.cc. Say which idea you are building and what you tried.

Read the guides

The 32 lessons teach every part step by step. The documentation explains the dashboard, rules and the web API.

50 things to build with your MakerBuddy kit

How to pick a project

No code

Needs Arduino code

Needs extra parts

What you build with

Built into the board

Plugs into the board

You also need

Find a project

Smart Night Light

Doorbell

Distance Warning

Room Thermometer

Knob Dimmer

Colour Mixer

Servo Wiper

Pedestrian Light

Motion Alarm

Reaction Timer

Auto-Fan

Dusk Lamp

Kitchen Gas Alert (practice model)

Garden Auto-Waterer

Intruder Alert

Privacy Status

Wake-Up Light

Garage Park Assist

Temperature Diary

Visitor Counter

Phone Light Switch

Mini Weather Station

Pet Feeder

Motion Email Alert

Mood Lighting

Door Status Checker

Silent Notifier

Baby Room Monitor

Gas Traffic Light

Holiday Light Show

Plant Thirst Tracker

Air Quality Lab

Insulation Tester

Shadow Detector

Human Reflex Test

Wet or Dry Lab

Height Measure

Room Mapping

Dew Point Calculator

Compost Monitor

Fortune Teller

Memory Game

Distance Beeper

Reflex Duel

Digital Pet

Safe Cracker

Hot Potato

Team Quiz Buzzer

Servo Angle Challenge

Shadow Alarm

10 builds with step-by-step guides

Plan your project

Need help with a build?

Ask the community

Email us

Read the guides

Every idea links to its free lessons.

Smart Night Light

Doorbell

Distance Warning

Room Thermometer

Knob Dimmer

Colour Mixer

Servo Wiper

Pedestrian Light

Motion Alarm

Reaction Timer

Auto-Fan

Dusk Lamp

Kitchen Gas Alert (practice model)