This post is in collaboration with Ryobi Australia
Alegria and Isaac love to play outside! There is nothing better than seeing their imaginations run wild whilst getting a great big dose of fresh air and being in nature! In an age where kids are spending more time on devices, we have been making a concerted effort to swap screen time for green time. To achieve this, we we visit national parks in our local area, go to playgrounds and spend time in our garden.
GEORGINA’S TOP DIY TIPS!
- Pick a simple DIY design – you don’t want to be overwhelmed and never finish. Save the instructions or take a screen shot on your phone for easy reference.
- Make sure you get some essential safety gear – safety glasses and hearing protection are a must. Gloves are handy as well!
- Ask for help – expert advice is available at stores like Bunnings Warehouse or local hardware stores. Ask your friends, you will be surprised at the hidden skills people have!
- Get prepared – make sure you have all the tools and materials you need before you begin. You don’t want to have to stop half way to pop down to the shops again!
- Set aside time to DIY – I often work on my projects when the kids are playing in the backyard. They come and check out what I am doing, have a go (if it’s safe) and then go back to playing. It’s amazing how much knowledge they pick up by observing you and participating, where appropriate.
HOW TO MAKE WOODEN STORY DISCS:
As I said, wooden story discs are easy to make, and even easier when you have the right tools!
For the wooden story discs, we stopped by Bunnings and picked out some Ryobi Tools to make the job easier. Isaac was in little boy heaven!
Obviously we had a specific idea of what we were using the tools for, however, we have found that we use them all the time for various DIY jobs and for even lighting the Weber BBQ!
If you are a beginner, don’t be scared! Each tool comes with an instruction manual and there are also online tutorials on how to use all the Ryobi tools on Ryobi TV.
TOOLS WE USED:
- Ryobi 2000W 254mm Slide Compound Mitre Saw With Laser (RRP: $299) withRyobi Universal Mitre Saw Stand (RRP: $139)
- Ryobi 200W Corded Multi Tool Kit (RRP: $119)
- Ryobi 2000W Corded Heat Gun (RRP: $69)
MATERIALS WE USED:
- 64 x 19 mm 3.0 m length of timber
- Various rubber stamps (we chose fairy themed but you can choose anything!)
- Versamark ink
- Embossing powder
DIY STEPS:
STEP 1: MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE!
Before cutting your timber, do a quick measurement to make sure your stamps will fit! Mark out where you want to make your cuts along the timber.
STEP 2: GET CUTTING!
Always remember your safety protection (safety glasses and hearing protection at a minimum) and get cutting! The Ryobi 2000W 254mm Slide Compound Mitre Saw With Laser was easy to use, and I highly recommend getting the stand. The saw has just enough safety precautions that you know you won’t cut off a finger (always a bonus!) and not too many that makes using it cumbersome. The laser makes cutting a straight line, exactly where you want it, a breeze!
STEP 3: SAND AND SEE!
Now that you have your little bits of timber, it’s time to shape them! You could use a pencil to mark out the basic shape you want your discs to be or be like us and see what shape it becomes! Alegria really loved helping out with this task. With the right safety equipment and supervision, there is no reason not to include your kids in your DIY tasks!
We used the Ryobi 200W Corded Multi Tool Kit sanding attachment and rounded the corners off the timber pieces. We used a vice to hold our discs (and an old sock as the vice was marking our timber!) and smoothed all of the edges so that they were safe for even the littlest of fairies.
The Multi Tool is such a handy tool to have, although in hindsight, I would have used the Ryobi 370W Belt and Disc Sander as this was a job that took a long time! The Belt and Disc Sander would definitely be faster!
STEP 4: GET SOME INK!
Using your chosen rubber stamps, coat the stamp with Versamark ink and stamp it onto your wooden disc. Make sure you are very careful and don’t move the stamp once it is on the wood or the embossing powder will stick to it and ruin your image!
STEP 5: SPRINKLE FAIRY DUST (EMBOSSING POWDER)!
As soon as you have stamped your wooden disc, you need to sprinkle embossing powder on it. You need to be quick as you don’t want the ink to dry as your powder won’t stick!
STEP 6: TURN UP THE HEAT!
STEP 7: ENJOY!
If you are looking for ideas, the kids can use the discs for:
Math Play: The discs can be used in sorting or grouping activities. Children can count how many people (or fairies), animals or food items they have or make shapes by lining up the discs into circles, squares and even in long lines.
Story Telling: Children can tell a story based on a single image or use another disc to further the story. Children can do this independently or as a group taking it in turns to tell a story or add another sentence to the group story.
Imaginative Play: The discs don’t have to be used exclusively in the garden, they can be used as:
- obstacles on the car or train track
- characters in the dollhouse
- guests at a tea party
Of course, there are many ways your children will find to play with these wooden story discs and you can put what ever images you like on them so they can be tailored to your child’s interests.
Acknowledgements – This post was brought to you in collaboration with Ryobi Australia. Kidding Around Australia were supplied with the tools required for this project and as always our opinions are our own.
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
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