First I was picturing making stuff out of aluminum cans. Maybe bowling with them or using sticky tack to make robots or towers and of course lots of counting. Each of those sounded more like a mommy project than a kiddo project. So, I browsed the unplugged linkys and found a money sort using muffin pans. This is what we did this morning. I also cut up squares with the values of each coin and they matched the numbers to the appropriate muffin cup. Caiden walked off with the squares to "hold" and Ady actually stuck with me to finish all the matching.
Then the topic of metal activities sent me on a mental journey.
1st stop I'm little at grandma and grandpas house where there are bags and bags of coke cans (grandma did like her coke!) My brother and I would stomp on the cans to smash them (back then they were traded in for their weight, so smashing them was the easiest way to take them in) I often missed and had to stomp several times, providing plenty of joke material for dad and grandpa. Brian did pretty good. I think grandpa gave us mallets to use sometimes as well.
2nd stop 7th grade shop. I liked the metal working part, I made dad a dustpan that he used for a long time (I can't believe it held up so well) I liked the riveting part best. I remember there being a tall blond surfer type that was helpful :)
3rd stop our favorite college student, Lucy likes working with bailing wire and has made us a nice cross with a rock to hang on the wall.
4th stop Dear Kevin is a wonder with metal...He thinks that if it is made of metal and he welded it then it will last pretty much into eternity because his work is THAT "durable" The larger projects around the house with his welding signature are...the scarecrow from last fall...he quickly welded a frame for us that lasted through the whole winter and we only took down a couple of weeks ago. A great big swingset with platform and bumpy slide. A plant hangar to accent our hidden front door that only my dear friend Marcy uses (bless her heart) Then the mailbox...the old one had survived many families and had been run over a couple of times, so it was time for a new one. What better opportunity to weld? All the projects accent our house nicely and have been great fun to watch him create.
1 comment:
I like your memory free-association with metal! I remember a metal project in 7th grade shop that I enjoyed too. (No surfer type in my class though)
That money sorting idea is a good one. I think we'll have to try that sometime since my kids still haven't grasped money very well.
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