A Guidebook to Creating Endless Weekend Fun
A Review of ‘52 Random Weekend Projects for Budding Inventors and Backyard Builders’ by The King of Random
Summer is here, and so too is the need to keep kids busy AND start a million and one projects around the house. This book can help with both! Jenna Collignon, Staff Writer at Matrix Group Publishing, shares her take-aways from the guide.
Five things that you need to know about ‘52 Random Weekend Projects for Budding Inventors and Backyard Builders’ by The King of Random.
One
The King of Random, Grant Thompson, was a YouTube star that conducted DIY projects and experiments on his YouTube channel called the King of Random – now simplified to TKOR – which was created back in 2010. Grant Thompson passed away in 2019 at the age of 38 due to a paragliding accident, and since then, the TKOR channel has been co-run by Nate Bonham, Calli, Kennen Hutchison, Grace Dirig, and Kevin DeBruin, and has over 12.6 million subscribers to date. This book was published posthumously to Thompson’s death, although most of the work done on the book was done by Thompson himself.
Two
This book itself is meant for adults and kids alike! It is for all skill levels and is broken down into three categories to guide you from easy projects into slightly more challenging ones. All the projects included within these pages are meant to get you thinking outside of the box and getting active – they are usually quick to create, but the fun you can have will last for hours with your new invention.
Three
The projects themselves are split into three categories: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The beginner projects are easier, less time-consuming, and require less parental supervision or safety precautions, such as the Matchbox Rocket (page 8). Then we move into intermediate projects to “level up” your inventing and building, including projects like the Skyblaster Slingshot (page 144). By the end, you’ll be an expert as you create advanced projects such as the Puzzle Box (page 222) or a T-Shirt Cannon (page 230).
The book is designed that you start at the beginning at the beginner level and you make your way through, becoming more of an expert as you progress. But no matter the skill level, every single one is fun to build!
Four
The instructions for each project are clear and concise, and the illustrations accompanying each of the instructions are sharp and easy to follow. Each of these instructions gives you a material list, what kind of safety precautions you need to prepare for, and after you have completed your project, what activities you can do with them.
Five
WARNING: This book is going to make you want to get creative! And there is nothing holding you back.
This book is meant to have fun with – open it up and find yourself a project to do one afternoon and find yourself spending hours afterward outside enjoying what you’ve made.
In our current climate as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep us from enjoying life as normal, this is the perfect book to have to occupy weekends at home, whether or not you have kids at home to entertain, or simply if you want to try them out yourself! Go grab your copy today and see what you can invent.
About the King of Random
THE KING OF RANDOM is one of the most popular project channels on YouTube. It currently has more than 12 million subscribers, posts five times a week, and averages over 40 million views a month.
About Nate
Nate has been with The King of Random since June of 2017. He lived in California and Utah growing up, and received a bachelor’s degree in art. Nate has always had an interest in learning new things as well as any kind of hands on project. His interests in art, science, and building led him to pursue working for TKOR when the opportunity arose, and so far he has filmed over 600 videos as a host and creator for the channel.
About Calli
Calli, co-host of The King of Random, has been in the acting industry for over fifteen years—but her love of creating and building began at a much earlier age. Always excited to learn how the world around her worked and create her own designs, she went on to become an illustration student. She worked as a detail artist in a sculpting studio prior to joining TKOR. She hopes to help others realize the possibilities in thinking outside the box and working with a creative passion.
About Jenna
Jenna Collignon joined the Matrix team in 2019, fresh out of the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Honours English Degree. When asked what she most likes about her position as an editor at Matrix, she has trouble answering. “That’s because,” she says, “what ISN’T there to like? There is something new on my plate every day, with new challenges and lessons to be learned along with that. It also doesn’t hurt to be part of such a great team.”