Slow and Steady: Week 4

For Age 0, Week 4 of Slow and Steady Get Me Ready the idea is to build a "baby gym" attached to the crib rails. But Lady Bug isn't sleeping in a crib right now (we're doing a mix of co-sleeping and using the Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'N Play Sleeper) so we don't even have a crib. And I'm not sure how I would attach the string to a Pack 'n Play/playpen. So I walked around the house trying to figure out what I could use to suspend the objects over my baby using household items when I stepped on my answer: pvc pipe! I realize it's not exactly a common household item, but it's very inexpensive. I borrowed the pieces I used to make this from Builder Boy's PVC Building Set that I made for his 6th birthday. If you are cutting the pipes for the first time (ours are 1/2 in pipes) you might want to make the dimensions differently. I just worked with what we already had.

Day 1 of the activity you hang a red (or hot pink!) spool and let it swing. I chose to tie it low enough that Lady Bug could hit it with her hand if she wanted to. She did end up hitting it several times; mostly just by getting excited and flailing about. She followed the swinging spool with her eyes and head and really seemed to like it; she even smiled! This kept her entertained (and her brothers who wanted to "help") for over 10 minutes.


Day 2 has you add a plastic lid that has been covered with foil. I used a circle of cardboard instead. Lady Bug didn't seem as interested in the baby gym that day as she did the day before.

Day 3 has you add a bell or rattle. This is used to demonstrate some items not making noises when moving, and one that does. I did not have any bells (that I could find. I'm still only half unpacked from the move.) I tried making a rattle out of a plastic spice container and beans, but it didn't make any sound when it swung; only when it was shaken. So I attached a rattle I had bought, but it doesn't make sounds when it's swinging, either!

Lady Bug was not in the mood to play with it this morning. We'll try again later.

We are are still doing the stretches and touching from Week 1 every day and once every few days try to do Week 2 and Week 3.

Another PVC Pipe Invention

"Brought to you by Builder Boy comes...the Leviticus! This wonderful musical instrument isn't just a stringed (okay, rubber-banded) instrument, but it's also a horn! (Or a plastic-wind.) The sturdy construction means that it can withstand the interest of a three-year-old! Available for a limited time only!"

Oops, you're too late. It's now something completely different. :)

PVC Pipe Building Set

This is something I heard about over eight months ago and I finally got to give this to Builder Boy as his birthday present! It's a bunch of 1/2 in PVC pipe cut into measured lengths and a bunch of different fittings to build contraptions, structures, whatever he wants. Right now he's trying to build super sized, complicated version of the mini marshmallow shooters we made yesterday. Daddy is the only one who has strong enough breath to make it work, but it's pretty cool.
 
I spent about $50 on this (family members chipped in to pay for it,) but you could probably buy less to start with and then add on later. The 1/2 in pipe was only $1.65/10 feet. I got 110 feet for $18.15. The rest went to a $13 ratchet pipe cutter (which was completely worth it and I wouldn't recommend doing this without one) and the fittings. Three types of the fittings could be about in packages of 10 or 25 for less money per piece than you would pay for each one individually. But some of the other fittings had to be bought individually; some for $0.36/each, some for $0.80 each.

Here's how I cut the pipes:

5 ft / 5 ft
5 ft  / 5 ft
4 ft / 4 ft / 2 ft
4 ft / 4 ft / 2 ft
3 ft / 3 ft / 3 ft / 1ft
3 ft / 3 ft / 3 ft / 1ft
2 ft / 2 ft / 2 ft/ 2 ft / 2 ft
2 ft / 2 ft / 2 ft / 2 ft / 2 ft
1 ft X 10

That gave us (4) 5 ft long pipes, (4) 4 ft long pipes, (6) 3 ft long pipes, (12) 2 ft long pipes, and (12) 1 ft long pipes. I left 2 pipes uncut to see what he would need after he started building. He ended up using the short pieces from the mini marshmallow shooters, so I'll cut one of the leftover pipes into 3 in and 6 in pieces.

I got 2 plastic shoe-boxes at the dollar store to keep the fittings in and I got a tall plastic garbage can to hold the pipes in.

Builder Boy loved this present immediately, and it's all he's played with since he got it yesterday. As soon as spring comes this will become an outside toy. But until then it's a way to bribe him to clean up all his other toys so that he has room to make his structures.

Added later: here is a video of a double mini marshmallow shooter that Builder Boy built, powered by Daddy.

Mini Marshmallow Shooter

We had to cancel Builder Boy's birthday party this weekend due to his cold. It was just a few days before Thanksgiving so we decided to do his birthday activities then. One of the things I had planned was a cool mini marshmallow blow gun for the guests to put together and have fun with. I got the idea from Pinterest (here's the pin.) It was originally posted on the Filth Wizardry blog. (Check out her neat blog!)


What you need (for each kit)

1/2 in PVC pipe in 3 in, 4 in, and 5 in lenghts
an extender fitting for a mouth piece
a T-junction
an end cap

a bag of mini marshmallows
stickers for personalization

Filth Wizardry has an instruction sheet you can print out that also include rules of engagement. She also included cheap swimming eye goggles and a paper plate shield for extra safety.

Party Favor Kit

I got the pipe for $1.65/10 feet. Each "gun" needs only 1 foot, so it cost $0.17/blow gun. The T junction I bought in at about $0.20 for each piece and the extender in a bag for about $0.15 a piece. The end cap was around $0.30. Walmart had bags of mini marshmallows for $1.00, and I got the stickers at the dollar store. So the whole things cost about $1/kit.

We purchased a ratcheting pvc pipe cutter and it was definitely worth the $12. I also purchased a bunch of pipe for Builder Boy's building kit birthday present, so we needed it for that, too. I've been researching this project for about 8 months now. Everyone who wrote about it said that trying to cut it with a saw was an awful experience that left a jagged edge. The pipe cutter was easy and smooth, and it took us less than 6 minutes to measure and cut all the pieces for 10 kits.

I put the pieces in the dishwasher and sterilized them since we were going to put our mouths on them.

Target Board

I made a target out of poster board, and sorted colored marshmallows so that teams could keep score if they wanted to. I taped plastic bags behind the holes for easier cleaning. Also, Early Bird had a lot of fun making the ammunition "disappear."



This was so much fun! Our family had a blast with these! We were cracking up and having a wonderful time. The adults started aiming at each others' mouths which was really funny. Luckily, all the adults were wearing glasses. I think this just became a new family Thanksgiving tradition.

Target Practice at Nana and Apa's House

Sniper Daddy