Project:Activity Board

ProjectInfoBox Activity Board
Status:	done
Release Date:	May 2021
Initiator:	Lukas
Materials Used:	plywood, lots of interesting "junk" and small hardware
Tools Used:	projector, jigsaw, eccentric sander
Software Used:	inkscape
Approx. Cost:	15 €

Do you know a 1- to 2-year-old? Have a bunch of shiny/moving/generally interesting hardware that you saved from the trash but didn't really know what for? Then an activity board is what you need to make!

Also known as "busyboard", it is basically a small wall with everyday things a small child could like to play with (and/or practice how to use them).

Activities

When you look around for inspiration, some things just seem to be in every activity board...I did include some of those, but mostly went with what I had in my junkrecycled material collection and tried to assume what the little one would most enjoy based on recent obsessions ;-)

• shoelaces threaded through a bunch of ring screws
• zipper
• pockets from old cargo shorts (two kinds of buttons)
• tiny door
  • hinge
  • sliding latch (Riegel) keeping it shut
  • hidden drawing (just a stick figure so far) as a reward
• power switch (heavy duty) - thanks Johannes, gotta know that as a kid :-P
• lightswitch
• small toggle switch
• Kaltgerätestecker extension cord (m/f to connect with itself)
• phone (or remote - anything with nice buttons)
• laboratory gas valve & rotary encoder - turning stuff is fun!
• shiny CD (WinXP) on a string
• magnet on a string (surrounded by many magnetizable items, e.g. a large nut)
• velcro tape
• old ski binding (nice squeaky sound when flipped)
• window handle
• compression spring (awesome sound, screwed down with a slotted washer at one end)
• Nalgene bottle (great to "hide" things in)
• length of threaded rod with wing and hex nuts (held upright between two ring screws with lock nuts)

More info on how I cut the shape when I get to it...let me know if you're interested and I should hurry up!