Whilst my Mum entertains our girls with books, singing and cooking, my Dad is more inclined to let them sit on the roof of his van, dangle their feet in the fish pond or encourage them to eat bird food, which is exactly how it was when my brothers and I were small (it’s a wonder we ever made it to adulthood…!) ;) This is because Dads like 1. danger and 2. mess. So with Father’s Day in mind, today I have some DIY projects that my Dad (and hopefully, the Dads in your houses) will love!
Goo it yourself
Let’s start with make your own slime… (of course!)
There are loads of slime ‘recipes’ available online. Some using corn flour, some borax and glue, or (like this one) borax, guar gum and glycerine. There are even edible versions (though I’m not sure why you would want to eat slime… But then, I’m not a Dad!) ;) This version from Play at Powerhouse doesn’t require ‘cooking’ but makes better slime than the corn flour versions. Just make sure the younger kids don’t get hold of it as this is NOT an edible recipe!
Fun in the sun on Father’s Day
For the more adventurous DIY Dad, behold the giant slip and slide! This one is from awsumpawsum on Instructables. I’m off to get my Dad to make me one of these! OK, so maybe we don’t all have a garden that can accommodate a 100ft slip and slide, but a smaller one would probably be easier for the kids to help set up anyway. Roll out your PVC, turn on the hose pipe and, for extra thrills, add some washing up liquid! Pardon? Oh it’s raining again? Well no need for the hose pipe then! :)
Sky high
And finally, the classic, coke and mentos rocket, and a very good set of instructions from What’s The Way It Is. The infamous rocket is unreliable if executed incorrectly. This way almost guarantees results, which is a winner in my book! Just make sure you stand well back - this can get very messy!
Have fun/mess/danger! :D
Verity
