Water Wall

Pinterest can be a dangerous thing!  But I've found a project or two that have turned out pretty well.

For the Water Wall, I used several sources, including this one.

Here are pix of our new water wall in action, along with some of my how-to's.


Purchased:  inexpensive trellis (WalMart)
and a 14' plastic gutter (Home Depot).
On hand: zip ties, duck tape, recycled bottles,
kitchen scissors, box cutter, drill, jig saw,
sandpaper and sander, plus nylon cord.
 

BEFORE MOUNTING:
Measure and cut gutter to fit the space.
[We used a jig saw with a fine-toothed blade.]
Sand cut edges smooth.
Mark where holes will be drilled for zip ties; drill two holes for each point of attachment.
Zip-tie in place.
[Tie at least one at a point where trellis wires cross.  Keeps it from slipping.]

Once gutters are in place, play with the location of any plastic bottles you want to attach.
[I used a water bottle, a 'fancy' water bottle with small pill bottle attached, and a ketchup bottle with squeeze lid attached.]
Cut bottle bottoms off with scissors or box cutter; cover cut edges with duck tape.
Drill or punch holes in any bottles you want to "sprinkle."
No need to drill holes in bottles for attaching--secure them in place upside-down with long zip ties.

Ping pong balls make a good float in a narrow bottle.
Put them in, pour in the water, and watch them pop back up.
An orange plastic pill bottle fits snugly; after drilling small holes in the bottom,
I glued it to the mouth of the narrow bottle.

The clear plastic tubing's in place; haven't picked what kind of receptacle will go on the top of it yet.

After all the elements are attached, place the trellis in a plastic bin and secure it plumb and level. Strategically placed containers will help catch rolling objects and conserve water.
[This one is tied to a brick pillar with blue nylon cord.]



Fun on a hot summer day includes my attempt
at water conservation--plastic pool and containers
to catch and recycle the water.

Collect plastic cups, buckets, turkey basters--anything on hand to scoop and pour.
Bring in things that roll too--small balls, marbles, wood or plastic beads.
Color the water with food coloring if desired.


Experimenting with a ping pong ball



Wow!  It rolled all the way down.



Cover cut edges of plastic bottles with duck tape.



For now, the water wall is tied in place with a cord.
 

Change the features?  You bet.  I've already modified the angle of the gutters to slow things down.
No problem--just snip the zip ties and re-attach.

It's fun for all ages.
Helps little ones do scientific experiments,
practice cooperation, and hone motor skills.

Tra La! It's May!

As Camelot's Guinevere sang, "Tra La!  It's May!"

Before Mothers' Day I brought out a project for Daniel to make for Mamae.

Paints and two year-olds can be pretty messy chaotic fun, so I stripped my buddy down to his diaper on our patio.  The fleeting thought crossed my mind to change into some grubby clothes myself, but the artistic train had already left the station.  Concrete floor, brick walls, concrete bench/table--check.  Indestructible.  Let the creative juices flow!

Paint + Brush + Paper

+ Belly

Wash a brush.



Wash a floor. 

Brushes clean.

Belly clea . . .  well, maybe not.

Water for painting

Dribbles

Splashes

Not a pool

Qweeze

Splat!

Oh, the possibilities . . .

More Qweeze

What happens when I CLAP?!
Wow!  The blue paint flies through the air.

You know that time when, as an adult in charge, you know you shouldn't laugh . . .?
This was that, and I couldn't help myself.
Tra La!

CLAP!  SPLATTER!



Totally immersed in exploring blue

Oh, joy!

If you're happy and you know it,
clap your hands.

Mild as the day was, it wasn't quite play-in-the-hose weather, so there was a bath with plenty of bubbles.

My bad!  I didn't get a picture of the finished project or Cecilia's reaction on Mothers' Day.  :~{

But here's the masterpiece in process.
HeyYea used painter's tape to make the letters L  O  V  E.
Daniel painted.  GiGi removed the tape about a week later
(when the globs of paint dried).
A cute frame.  Done.

BTW--I apologize to any future teachers who may try to introduce finger paints in a classroom with Daniel.  He definitely doesn't color inside the lines.  Besides, according to Lady Guinevere, May is "the darling month when everyone throws self-control away."  Just sayin'

May Days

 

May has come and gone!  Looking back on some fun . . .

May was the month when a new friend arrived.
His name--Sticky Sticky Lizard.
He likes hanging upside-down to drink from the hummingbird feeder.

May was time to play with bugs.

Both the Dollar Store kind . . .



 . . . and the real deal.
It was fun to watch a Ladybug crawl on his hand,
but D drew the line on June Bugs.

Just when his chin "Brave Boy" healed up,
Daniel sustained another "Brave Boy" above his eye,
which Mamae dressed with her surgical skill.

When Daniel found this little fiberglass pole,
he shouted with delight, "Bahnah!  Bahnah!"
Haven't heard that word in a long time.

Fishin' in the lavender

HeyYea and his boy

Early in May, it was cool enough to start off with a hoodie,
but the days warmed up enough to explore puddles.



GiGi scored big with a hat that His Twoness actually wants to wear.
See, Hunka Cheese wears hats like this.



After eating outside--something that Daniel really likes to do--
we talked about how the wind blows and makes the bumblebee wind bells ring.

Then Little Man climbed his first tree!

An adventure 5" off the ground.

May was time to make a special Mother's Day gift.
You'll have to read the next post to find out
how we got from this . . .

. . . to this.

In May, there were flags to fly,

and flowers to pick for Mamae.

Of course, there were quiet times with a good book.
D likes to know the name for every object on every page.
But this month he actually wanted to listen to the stories.

Then there was time to pretend to be Mr. TrimmerMan
and Mr. BlowerMan like the Friday yard crew outside.

D had the sounds and the moves!

Of course, Daniel asked HeyYea if it was okay to play with HeyYea's special red car.
That's a treat every time D visits.  

And then--reunion time.

Hugs!  Hello to Mamae.
And goodbye to bugs and birds, flags and flowers,
paints and puddles, GiGi and HeyYea.
And Sticky Sticky Lizard. 

 

Oh.  BTW--
Sticky Sticky Lizard isn't the only one
at the hummingbird feeder.
Mr. and Mrs. Finch enjoy it too!
Hummingbirds, not yet.