Things to make and do with your kids?
Discussion
Prompted by Frazer's thread on kids and a lot of the posts by other parents, I'm looking for some further inspiration for things to do with my 2yr old when he stays with me this weekend.
The run up to last weekend's escapades followed from him seeing the full moon last month and asking to go there! I told him you need a rocket to go to the moon as it is far away. Anyway since then every time we meet he goes on about rockets and moons and 'Jupiter, gas planet, too far way'.
So on Friday at bed time, after he'd said goodnight to the moon shining through the window I told him 'Tomorrow we'll make a rocket!'.
Now, I was going to make a bottle rocket that you pump up and launch into the air, but it rained all weekend so we went for a cardboard tube one covered in white paper.
Couldn't find any cardboard tubes so we unravelled three rolls of toilet paper
and stuck them together with selotape - he did the sticking whilst daddy held it all in place. Then we wrapped the whole lot in white A4 paper, more sticking by Josh whilst daddy held it all in place. Then we decorateded it with engines, windows, and a door (he said it needed a door for him and daddy to get in and out).
Next two more sheets of white paper, drew round a plate on one for the Earth, a saucer on the other for the moon. We stuck the moon on to the wall with more selotape and put the Earth on the floor.
I taught him to do a count down from five and then 'lift off' and he was happy for the rest of the afternoon running round the house with his rocket going to the moon.
Fabulous stuff!
Can anyone else give me some ideas for a project this weekend?
The run up to last weekend's escapades followed from him seeing the full moon last month and asking to go there! I told him you need a rocket to go to the moon as it is far away. Anyway since then every time we meet he goes on about rockets and moons and 'Jupiter, gas planet, too far way'.
So on Friday at bed time, after he'd said goodnight to the moon shining through the window I told him 'Tomorrow we'll make a rocket!'.
Now, I was going to make a bottle rocket that you pump up and launch into the air, but it rained all weekend so we went for a cardboard tube one covered in white paper.
Couldn't find any cardboard tubes so we unravelled three rolls of toilet paper
and stuck them together with selotape - he did the sticking whilst daddy held it all in place. Then we wrapped the whole lot in white A4 paper, more sticking by Josh whilst daddy held it all in place. Then we decorateded it with engines, windows, and a door (he said it needed a door for him and daddy to get in and out).Next two more sheets of white paper, drew round a plate on one for the Earth, a saucer on the other for the moon. We stuck the moon on to the wall with more selotape and put the Earth on the floor.
I taught him to do a count down from five and then 'lift off' and he was happy for the rest of the afternoon running round the house with his rocket going to the moon.
Fabulous stuff!
Can anyone else give me some ideas for a project this weekend?
You don't need to lie. You ahve no 2 year old. This is just for personal fun on an evening.
Thats ok.
I can't remember exactly how to make it. But how about an erupting volcano. Was quite easy to make and looks damn good.
If you google you should find, think was a blue peter thing.
Thats ok.
I can't remember exactly how to make it. But how about an erupting volcano. Was quite easy to make and looks damn good.
If you google you should find, think was a blue peter thing.
Edited by elster on Thursday 13th November 15:56
I've got a 2 year old niece, and she loves to play hunt the alarm clock. I did it once, and she really enjoyed it. Set an alarm clock with 5 minutes until it goes off, then hide it, and consequently run around the house with the kid trying to find it! I normally leave a 'treat' for her with the clock, (although don't tell her mum that!... I'm an uncle, I am permitted by law to spoil her).
Taita said:
You seem like a top Dad mate 
Thanks! It really isn't difficult being a Dad to him, he's very independant and will amuse himself for hours if you let him, he also love's anything and everything you spend time doing with him.He just likes to help and be involved. A few months back I got a flat tyre on the car. So we changed it together. He even managed to get some of the wheel nuts on!
When we go shopping in the village I ccan let him run arround and ask him to get carrots, milk, bread, nappies, just about anything and he'lll toddle off and come back with the right item.
I'm very lucky to have him, and from Friday night to Monday morning we do everything together!
things to make?
obviously a garage (this is PH after all)
Ramps and car parking spaces, balsa wood works a treat as you can cut it without using a big saw (therefore suitable up the table) and can be stuck easily with glue.
Lots of grey paint, for the superstructure, white paint for the lines and you're done
Plasticine is great fun too, I was making figures from 'Trapdoor' the other day (they were crap)
obviously a garage (this is PH after all)
Ramps and car parking spaces, balsa wood works a treat as you can cut it without using a big saw (therefore suitable up the table) and can be stuck easily with glue.
Lots of grey paint, for the superstructure, white paint for the lines and you're done
Plasticine is great fun too, I was making figures from 'Trapdoor' the other day (they were crap)
The Excession said:
Taita said:
You seem like a top Dad mate
Thanks! It really isn't difficult being a Dad to him, he's very independant and will amuse himself for hours if you let him, he also love's anything and everything you spend time doing with him.He just likes to help and be involved. A few months back I got a flat tyre on the car. So we changed it together. He even managed to get some of the wheel nuts on!
When we go shopping in the village I ccan let him run arround and ask him to get carrots, milk, bread, nappies, just about anything and he'lll toddle off and come back with the right item.
I'm very lucky to have him, and from Friday night to Monday morning we do everything together!
Top man.
You realize you're going to have buy a JCB?
They're a top laugh.
Lemmonie said:
wow, 2 and counting down from 5!
Im dead impressed.
Daisy Boo, 2.5 yrs can only count to two (must take after her day, im dead clever!)
yeah - he's a speshul kid Im dead impressed.
Daisy Boo, 2.5 yrs can only count to two (must take after her day, im dead clever!)
He's been counting for ages - we're upto fifteen now, I'm trying to teach him adding and subtraction using coins, so far I can him to count when I put down 3 coins, then add 2 more, and he'll count 5 as the answer to 'how many?' etc
Getting him counting backwards for lift off was just the next thing for him to try.
I'm going to make some alphabet flash cards for him, he can recite upto about 'E' now, but I'm not sure he really equates it to letters of the alphabet.
He really is a smashing little kid.
Dirty Boy said:
things to make?
obviously a garage (this is PH after all)
Ramps and car parking spaces, balsa wood works a treat as you can cut it without using a big saw (therefore suitable up the table) and can be stuck easily with glue.
Lots of grey paint, for the superstructure, white paint for the lines and you're done
Good thinking - I like the ramps and parking spaces idea! We'll go to the shop on Saturday morning to get some cardboard boxes.obviously a garage (this is PH after all)
Ramps and car parking spaces, balsa wood works a treat as you can cut it without using a big saw (therefore suitable up the table) and can be stuck easily with glue.
Lots of grey paint, for the superstructure, white paint for the lines and you're done
I can probably make a filling station with pumps and a bit of string for the hose. (He already knows to put petrol in the car as being as we're in rural Ireland he always gets out to hold the pump hadle with Daddy when we fill up).
Neil_H said:
Yeah, those are great, but I'll make one from a two litre bottle, bung and a car foot pump if we get some nice weather.Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff