Monday, November 29, 2010

Hey everyone! Need something to keep your kids busy as the days get colder? My son and I found a really fun project in the FamilyFun magazine recently and we just had to try it out. It was a hit! He played with it for a looooooooong time over the weekend. I've been trying to find a link to the article with no success - I think it may only be in the magazine. Anyway - here's a photo of it:

Basically, you just use one of those plastic box frames, take the cardboard out of the inside, and fill it with sand (I used rice instead). Then....
  • Take some of your little "guys" or animals or light weight toys and attach magnets to the bottom of them. I used a glue gun because it's my favorite thing to use! :)
  • Take a craft stick and glue a magnet to the end of it. I glued two on there to make it stronger. This is what you will use to make the objects move around.
  • Elevate the box frame so you have room to stick your hand underneath and play. The magazing said to use wooden spools, but I just used playdough containers after removing the playdough. I just put it in a plastic bag so I could use the containers for this project.

Run your magnet craft stick under the frame to make the objects/toys on top in the rice move around! It really requires pretty STRONG magnets to work. The magnet sheets just won't do.

Don't have one of those frames laying around like I did? Maybe try a cardboard box, or just search around your kitchen for something similar that you could run a magnet under.

Have fun playing! :)

1 comment:

mrs t said...

love this idea! the table is super clean for having played with rice!! mine would be a disaster!!! :) thanks for the wonderful idea! i love the tape idea, too! these will totally be in my winter idea file! :)