Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: You Can Build Yourself

Maxine Anderson opens Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself with some introductory material and a brief biography of Leonardo da Vinci. The book is then divided into sections based on the different types of things da Vinci did - the artist and dreamer, useful machines, water, flight, and war inventions.I was a bit disappointed in the hands-on projects. While the materials are generally easy to find, I was hoping they would require materials I already have. I will have to purchase at least one thing for most of the projects. And even the “recycled” materials aren’t ones that everyone would necessarily have. I will need to re-think how I will use this title.I purchased this book as a supplemental resource for our Engineering and Inventing summer class. I would not hesitate adding it to my k-12 Christian School library.

Fascinating and easy to read information about da Vinci with fun activities. I used the info and activities to teach 5th and 6th graders.

This was perfect for our 8 year old son . We just purchased this second one for a birthday gift for a 9 year old . There are so many small and larger scale inventions to be made . A lot of the stuff you'll find that you already have on hand . Makes for inexpensive entertainment and great for family night .My son is on the autism spectrum and was totally engaged and absolutely fascinated by the things he could create .I would highly recommend this book . Beats playing video games hands down !

I have been using this book for a co-op with nine students (4th and 5th graders) at the request of the 4th -6th grade coordinator. I thought the students would hate several of these projects, but they have enjoyed making tempera paint, parachutes, webbed gloves, and water shoes. Honestly, I was surprised the kids enjoyed making tempera so much. We did crack the eggs and get messy so that's probably part of the appeal.The plastic glass project was a fail. Directions didn't specify that ultra pasteurized cream is also homogenized and will not work. I thought I was being careful by avoiding homogenized cream so this was disappointing. Thankfully the kids were unaffected because it was a secondary activity (an "if we have time" project).The helical air screw was a FAIL. We can make it look like the instructions, but there is no way it would fly because the spiral wouldn't stay put so it flopped around not the chopstick. Our class is one hour and I was extremely glad that I didn't bother to bring the launcher materials. I would have been livid if I had cut all the wood and predrilled holes for this dud of a project.The hygrometer was a successful build but no one bothered to hang it outside and test it. The monkey wrench project was enjoyed, but I think it's because I let them use hammers. Also I am looking for an alternative wheel for the armored tank. The directions say to use yogurt lids, but yogurt isn't sold with lids anymore in my town. I will be trying the baby food squeeze pouch caps out or wood circles.I don't think the description should state that templates are included as they are only sketched into the directions and not at scale. Perhaps I am assuming too much, but any other craft book with templates has a separate section of templates or includes a separate page or two with the shapes needed.I am regretting using this book as the spine for our course. I wish I had ordered Primary Physics because all of those projects worked, and I now have some trust in the author. If you decide to use Marti Ellen's book for a class, be sure to allow more time than you think is necessary. We did Roman Machines and it was very difficult to finish a build in a one-hour class period.If you are using this for a child at home, it might still be worth a look because the background info and stories are fun. Don't expect more than half the projects to work. There are several arts and crafts projects included that really aren't "inventions".

I bought this book for my nine year old who (since playing Assasins Creed) has become obsessed with the history of the past. This book is easy for anyone to follow and it has many do-it-yourself inventions. My son and I have sone most of the suggested ideas in the book and had a blast doing it. You should see how impressed people are when he begins to rattle on about Leonardi Da Vinci. He had learned it all from this book! I'm very glad to have made this purchase. He's nine and has learned from this, imagine what a teenager could do with the knowledge in this book!

The book arrived in a timely manner and better quality than anticipated. Thank you!

We love this book. I have the entire Dover set of notebooks, so I thought I would not learn anything from it, but I was wrong. The author has dug up so many little anecdotes about Leonardo that balances out the book from a straight academic publication. It is sprinkled with little facts and figures to give the reader an insight into this brilliant man.I bought this for my wife to teach young children activities. We cannot say enough good about this book. It is well researched and written and oh so practical. Highly recommend this book.

I bought this to help my son with his wax museum school project, but it was not helpful. About half of the items in it are not the ones Da Vinci is actually most known for, just based around some concepts he was interested in. Some of them were not child-friendly, requiring drilling or melting a candle down to use the wax as a coating on paper. Others were very simple like making a mask out of a milk jug or basically taking that same mask and attaching it to a piece of cardboard to make a "monster shield". Some of the diagrams are drawn incorrectly, like the wings obviously being backwards in the glider. Essentially, for our purposes, the items were either not something common enough to a fifth grader to be included in the project, too childish and not obviously related to Da Vinci enough, or just too complicated.

As elective homeschoolers we really recommend this book!! Educational as well as fun!!

Been reliably informed that my 8 year old Nephew who appears to have everything was suitably impressed with this book. It was bought along with a couple of working wooden catapults and will hopefully give him a shared interest when we catch up.

Kept kids in the family we gave this to amazed and amuzed for hours.

interesting read

Great read and I will show it to my mates. I sure will buy another by her with no worries