old-school fun: coffee can stilts

Just for fun, just because I had two empty coffee cans, and just because I remember loving the yellow plastic-cup stilts we had as kids, we made coffee can stilts over here one recent afternoon.

It was a day when we decided we were all pooled-out and we were looking for some out-in-the-backyard excitement. So in between some games of soccer and some sandbox play, I made these old-school toys to challenge my little ones.

Maddy, Owen, and Cora are fairly athletic kids, but this kind of game really tested their coordination and gross motor skills. With help from me--especially at first--they did a pretty decent job and had some fun along the way.

• Coffee Can Stilts: I literally made these with basic, basic supplies that we had around the house--two coffee cans, yarn, a hammer, and a nail.
  

I made two holes in the bottom of each can by using a hammer and nail. Then I doubled-up a long piece of yarn (probably more sturdy string would last a bit longer.

Our coffee can stilts required only the basics. . .

. . . but they really were pretty fun.

Owen and Cora were the first to give 'em a try, but then Maddy decided to get in on the action. It was much easier for Maddy to understand that in order to make the stilts move smoothly, that she needed to pull up on the strings and have them move along with her step, but Owen eventually got it, too.

Even with Maddy and Owen, I was right there, ready to catch them, for fear of their little ankles or arms breaking if they fell the wrong way.

Cora just liked being tall and probably stood still on hers for ten minutes before she felt comfortable enough to move with my help. It was a riot.

Everyone fell, everyone got frustrated, and everyone got back up on the stilts at least once or twice. Whew! It's always interesting for me to watch how Maddy, Owen, and Cora handle this kind of struggle, and really, I've come to the conclusion that their attitude depends on the day, the company, the weather--you name it. It always seems to change.

Anyway, it was just a little stretch--a little old-school game with a bit of learning about how they handle a new physical activity on a sunny summer afternoon.