When Baby J was 15 months old, I created a musical wall for her to bash on outside on our deck. Ironically, our neighbors moved a month later. 0_o Anyways, I wanted to encourage Baby J, who was still crawling, to stand up and explore the world from a new height. This wall was just high enough for her to lean on and definitely got her up on to her feet.
I found the wood in the shed, the stainless steel pot lids and aluminium pie tin from the recycle centre and the bell, xylophone and triangle from the $2 shop. 9 months later this toy is still very popular and has been nicknamed, "The Doo Doo Wall." I have recently replaced the xylophone ($8) and changed it to its side as the other layout caused the chimes to slip out and was quite annoying. I look forward to this toy evolving over the years as things rust or we find new things to bash on. Definitely cheap at $20 to create and has had hours of play, with heaps of life left in it.
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Turning two is a big step and toys suddenly take on a whole new meaning: pretend play! Hooray! We finally pretend play and not just stick things in our mouths. ;) My wee girl loves playing kitchens since about 18 months old. She likes the microwaves and cups with spoons the most. I looked up buying a new kitchen for her birthday and decided there was no way I could afford a $250 toy kitchen. I stumbled across some cute DIY kitchens on pinterest and decided I would make my own. Here is the completed project (without the tap for the sink): Click on the photos below for a better view of the action.All the kitchen accessories were purchased by friends and family and coordinate really well with our little kitchen. We are just waiting on finding a good(cheap) tap and the upcycle will be complete. Hidden touches - the oven and side cupboards.This TV unit upcycle project is ready for hours of play.This year many of my friends children turned 2 years old. As many of you may know, being two is a busy time of life and most toys just don't cut it - they don't hold their attention or they aren't stimulating enough. Before going out and buying a new toddler app for your iPad, how about making mini versions of what you use at home. A two year old mind is all about exploring the world around them and copying behaviours they see. I decided for my friend Luca, I would make him a toy that would both stimulate him and encourage him to harness being two into something fun and productive. Now let me preface this... this toy MUST HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION. It has tiny sharp pieces and big smashing pieces. Drum roll... A toddler tool kit just like daddy's one!This wee kit includes:
Plastic named hardhat - $4 Ear protectors - $2 Tape measure - $2 Mini- thick handled screw drivers - $3 Goggles - $2 Hammer - $2 Clear plastic case with lid - $8 Piece of wood with screws and nails - scraps from home so the cost was free. I included a little container for extra nails and screws in case they want to make another building board. When my little friend opened his present he went straight to work on the screws with the screwdriver. We have reached the point in our house where we are gathering children's art. It started as one painting on the fridge and slowly turned into a small pile on the desk. We racked our brains on what we could do to display our daughter's art tastefully, simply and located where she could see it. I found a couple square 12"x12" wooden frames and set about cutting her paintings down to that size. We now change out the art every month or so and put the old art in a tidy and easy to display 12"x12" inch folder.
Now updated with more photos: Most children cannot get enough of digging in the sand. We had some hefty criteria for investing in a sand play area. 1. It needed to be covered from the sun and the rain, so that it could be played in all year long. 2. It needed a lid to keep the neighbor cats out. 3. It needed to be big enough for more than one child to play in. We decided a sandpit built into our deck was the way to go. We hired a builder and got the project started.
This weekend we (Tim) is busily planting in the middle level of our retaining wall and filling the top up with gravel. J loves to play with Daddy in the wheelbarrow. More pictures of the wall coming soon!
Here is the infamous retaining wall that we employed some trusty builders to do. I need to find some before pictures to show you the real effect this wall has on our property. I really wanted to tiers for the wall. I have plans this spring to plant my veggie garden in the middle section. We also need to add some stairs. Our house is really a never ending project, but this wall will hopefully encourage the house to stay here for years to come. November Update: |
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September 2016
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