Beading In Binary

Have science fun as a family! Complete activities with parental supervision.

Materials:

• Beads in at least three colors, two colors for binary code and another for spacers (we used perler beads, but any beads will work)
• String (a piece of about 12 inches long for a bracelet, 24 inches for a necklace—may need to be longer or shorter depending on what beads you use)
• Binary code key (provided in the photo carousel)
• Paper
• Pen or pencil

Procedure

1. On a piece of paper, spell out your name or initials, spreading the letters across the paper.
2. Underneath each letter, use the key to write out the binary code pattern for that letter. For this code, the black box represents the number 0 and the white box represents the number 1.
3. Tie a knot at the end of the string big enough so the beads cannot fall off of it; it may require double or triple knots.
4. Choose one color to represent the black box/number 0 and another color to represent the white box/number 1. Choose a third color (or multiple colors) to act as a spacer between the letters.
5. Take your piece of string and string on the beads.
6. When you’re done, tie your string into a bracelet or a necklace and wear it around!
7. You don’t have to stop there—make more for your family!
8. Be sure to take a picture or video to share in the Facebook comments on the Buffalo Museum of Science or Tifft Nature Preserve pages!