Makey Makey

A small electronic invention kit that uses alligator clips to connect everyday conductive objects — fruit, foil, playdough, drawn pencil lines — to a computer, which sees them as keyboard presses or mouse clicks. Created by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum at the MIT Media Lab, Makey Makey is widely used in accessibility and inclusive-making contexts because it lets educators and therapists build bespoke, low-force, tactile input devices for learners with motor, cognitive, or communication disabilities without electronics expertise. Typical uses include custom switches, accessible musical instruments, AAC triggers, and STEAM activities for students with intellectual disabilities.