Be ready to play outdoors anytime by putting together a playground bag/box filled with play equipment. Learn to make some of your own equipment such as a bean bag, hopscotch marker, racquet and ball, sidewalk chalk and yogi rope with easy “do it yourself” instructions. Involve children in making the equipment and store the finished products in your playground bag/box.
“In selecting play equipment, remember that the most inspiring, durable and valuable play element of all cannot be bought. It comes in the form of other children – playmates.” (Terry Orlick)
Learn to Make These Play Equipment:
Bean Bag
What’s Needed
- 2 pieces of fabric about 12 x 12 cm (5 x 5 inches) per small bean bag
- Pins
- Needle and thread
- Rice, dried beans or peas for the filling
What to Do
- Pin wrong sides of fabric together.
- Sew pieces of fabric together about 1 cm (1/2 inch) in from the edges, leaving an opening in the middle of the last side that is at least 5 cm (2 inches) wide.
- Trim the tips off all 4 corners.
- Turn the square right side out.
- Pour rice, dried beans or peas into the opening to fill about 3/4 full.
- Pin and then sew the opening closed.
- Decorate.
Hopscotch Marker
What’s Needed
- A small stone
- Non-toxic acrylic paint (optional)
- Pictures cut out from magazines or wrapping paper
(small enough to fit on your stone)
- White glue, water and waxed paper
- Paint brush or cotton swab
What to Do
- Wash and dry stone.
- Paint the stone and let it dry on the waxed paper (or leave the stone unpainted).
- Apply glue to the back of your picture and place the picture on the stone.
- Using a paint brush or a cotton swab cover the entire stone with a mixture of white glue and water (3 parts glue to 1 part water).
- Let the rock dry. Use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process.
- Apply another coat of the glue-water mixture to the entire rock and place it back on the waxed paper to dry.
Racquet and Ball
What’s Needed
- A coat hanger
- Nylon panty hose or knee highs
- Tape
- Tin foil or paper
What to Do
- Stretch a coat hanger into a diamond shape. Bend the hook into a loop.
- Pull the nylon over the hanger as tightly as possible and wrap the excess nylon around the loop to make a handle.
- Cover the handle with tape.
- Scrunch up piece of tin foil or paper for the ball.
Sidewalk Chalk
What’s Needed
- A cardboard tube (toilet paper roll)
- A plastic bowl for mixing ingredients
- Waxed paper
- Duct tape
- 60 mL (3/4 cup) warm water
- 360 mL (1 1/2 cups) Plaster of Paris
- 30-45 mL (2-3 tablespoons) powdered tempra water-based paint
What to Do
- Seal one end of cardboard tube with tape. Stand it on a flat surface with the open end up.
- Line inside of tube with waxed paper (to keep the Plaster of Paris from sticking to the cardboard).
- Pour water into bowl and slowly add the Plaster of Paris. Stir.
- Mix in the powdered paint.
- Pour the Plaster of Paris mixture into the tube. Tap the sides of the tube to release air bubbles.
- Let stand for 1-2 days to dry.
- When dry, carefully tear off the cardboard and waxed paper.
Yogi Rope
It’s easy to make your own Yogi Rope using elastic bands or sewing elastic.
Yogi: Elastic Band Rope
What’s Needed
- At least 40 elastics. Thicker elastics are stronger and coloured elastics are more unique.
What to Do
- Open an elastic band to form a circle.
- Put one end of a second elastic through the open circle. Loop one end of the second elastic through the other end and pull tight.
- Repeat the same step with a third elastic. Continue adding elastics in this way until the rope is at least 145 cm (58 inches) long.
- Use one more elastic placed through the first and last elastics and tie a knot to join the two ends.
Yogi: Sewing Elastic Rope
What’s Needed
- Sewing elastic approximately 1 cm (1/4 inch) wide
What to Do
- Measure and cut elastic so it is at least 145 cm (58 inches) long.
- Tie the ends together in a knot
