Cranes form an important part of out project repetoire. This version, created to cope with the rush of very young children to our Edinburgh Science Festival workshops.

The jib is a lolly (popsicle) stick. A hole has been punched near one end to hold a short length of paper stick (or 5mm diameter dowel) The crane can be made even simpler if a 'slippery' thread is used for the cable. Then the lolly stick can be mounted flat and the thread put through the punched hole.
All wood is 10mm square.
The four pieces are all 4cm long
The sides are squares of stiff card - 4 x 4 cm

Shown with a 'load' tied to the thread. A paperclip would make a simple hook, but on its own isn't heavy enough to pull the thread off the winder when being lowered. A plasticene ball, or a bead, fitted above the hook would supply the necessary load.

A magnet could be tied to the thread - or - sticky backed magnetic strip could be added to the base of the wooden 'load' shown opposite.