We love the MaKey MaKey.

Nothing will ever take the place of this quirky, fun, and downright joyous piece of maker technology. With that being said, a MaKey MaKey is not an inexpensive piece of equipment – especially if you’re buying a set for a makerspace, library, or classroom.

That’s why we were thrilled to discover that you can replicate the fun of a MaKey MaKey using a much more affordable micro:bit.

A micro:bit is a tiny, programmable computer made by the BBC and it retails for under $25 CDN! With the weaker Canadian dollar a single MaKey MaKey sells for around $75 these days. That means for the price of one MaKey MaKey, you could buy three micro:bits!

The micro:bit website is filled with downloadable programs for the tiny computer. One program allows you to create a “banana keyboad,” aka a MaKey MaKey. Simply download the script, attached a few alligator clips to the micro:bit, and voilà, you have just made a much more affordable MaKey MaKey!

If you own a micro:bit and want to try this experiment, you can find the instructions here.

The MakerBus has just acquired its first micro:bit, so stay tuned for more ideas, tutorials, and experiments using this awesome new tool.

If you have experience with the micro:bit, share your wisdom in the comments. Also, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube) for the latest maker movement news, tips, and tutorials – let us help you create fun-conventional learning opportunities!

-Ryan Hunt, MakerBus Co-Founder