DIY Busy Board
DIY Projects. I love them, yet I hate them. I tend to get lazy when it comes to finishing stuff. I have about a dozen things on my “To-Do” list at any given time, and I’m currently reading about 5 books. Anyway, here I go getting side-tracked… and I wonder why it took me two days to write this post!
Back to DIY Projects.
I had been thinking about doing one of these busy boards since Lily was little, but never really got around to it. I also never really wanted to fork out the money either. The other day, we were browsing the aisles of Home Depot on a family outing and I decided (on a whim) to buy some trinkets for this project that had been in my head for years.
My girls have an engineer for a father. So their minds, like his, work a little differently than mine… especially my oldest. Her mind needs constant stimulation and she gets very whiny when she’s not being challenged or “doing” something. Lily in particular loves to know how stuff works. Both the girls (like most kids I think) have a thing for lids, caps, zippers, knobs, doors and locks. Mike already has Lily’s kindergarten project planned out… it involves rebuilding a motor.
With that in mind, I picked up the cheapest latches and locks I could find while perusing the aisle at Home Depot. I think I spent about $20 for all of the things on my board. Keep in mind these are Hawaii prices. I’m sure this same project could be made for much cheaper on the mainland. The board and paint were leftover from home renovations several years ago. I got home and went right to work! Here’s how it went down and what you’ll need if you want to make one.
Materials:
- 3/4 inch board or plywood, size of your choosing (mine was 13 x 20 inches)
- sander and sandpaper, 100 & 150 grit
- paint or stain of your choice
- various latches and locks or other interesting trinkets
- drill with Phillips bit
- Sharpie pen
Step 1: Arrange
Gather your selected materials and unwrap them to make sure they fit on the board you’ve chosen. The board I had was about 20″ x 13″. I ended up arranging them differently than this, but I just wanted to get an idea of spacing to make sure things at least fit. Most things you buy should come with screws.
Step 2: Sand
Sand the board using a rough grit, then a finer grit to smooth it out. I used 100, then 150. This is especially beneficial if you’re staining the wood.
Step 3: Paint or Stain
At this point (after you wipe off the dust), stain the board–or paint it–any color you wish. I went with white spray paint for two reasons. 1) Because this particular paint guaranteed a 15 minute dry time, and I was feeling lazy. 2) Because although I like the look of the stained wood, I already have too much of it downstairs. I wanted to keep things lighter with the white paint.
Step 4: Attach
Use the screws that come in the packages with the latches to attach them to the board using the drill and Phillips bit. The wheel was the only piece that didn’t come with any screws, so I had to bum a few short ones off the hubby. Then, I just used a Sharpie to write out a little heading for this busy board, but you could use your child’s name or a different title. I decided to go with: “How Stuff Works”.
Step 5: Mount
This board would be perfectly fine to play with on the ground, but I wanted it on the wall. There’s something about having stuff of the wall that they’re actually allowed to play with that seemed appealing to me. For this, I used our trusty nail gun and mounted it to a stud. I wouldn’t trust hanging it any other way, especially since I expect it to continually get yanked on and pulled at.
And there you have it! A DIY Busy Board that was fairly simple to put together. It may not be their favorite toy forever, but I’m sure it’ll get revisited each time we have friends over. Funny how that works. Let me know if you decide to make one! I’d love to see pictures
Aloha
April
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