Today’s afternoon project was making stilts from scrap lumber at Home Depot. Tomorrow I’ll build some straps for the feet to make it easier to walk in them. Lots of fun nonetheless.
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15 Comments
Don’t add straps.
Dangerous.
Stilts are fun. Once you learn how to walk on them, like a bicycle, you never forget how. I once watched a 90 year old man with an eyepatch take my stilts and hobble around my parents backyard. quite a spectacle for everyone.
Fond memories. I suggest that you switch from stilts to leg extenders?. I would try six (6) inch high to begin with. Quick way to grow and I remember the thrills I had being able to reach things I couldn’t before. The highest I ever went was 18″ but I know performers go to several feet.
oh wow, that looks like so much fun! i wish i’d had some as a kid..
My “california” is coming out, but that’s a righteous wipe-out there at the end.
Looks like fun.
As a child, I remember walking on these types of stilts and playing a game where the object was to try and knock (or trip if you were really talented!) your opponent off their stilts. They weren’t that high off the ground (maybe a foot or so) and loads of fun.
Definitely do not add straps. You could run into problems getting your foot out fast enough to break your fall.
Also would help if verticals were taller. A beginner benefits by having the verticals lean against the shoulders. I don’t have good balance so it took tons of practice to get good at them. The idea of straps scares me. I don’t know how many times I fell off but I shure wouldn’t have liked to be stuck to them for the ride to the ground.
You do the most wondeful things with your daughter.
I have seen them on Sesame Street (thanks to my 22 month old son)and the clips of kids from other countries that are put on stilts from the age of 3 have padding and straps.
At some point she would have to be strapped in if she wanted to dance or do any kinds of fancy stepping.
I want stilts so bad, I’m going to make myself some, you have inspired me to get my ass movin!
When I was a kid we used to drill holes in the sides of coffee cans (those big ones the beans come in) and put strings through, a la Stomp, and those were our stilts. These look much cooler.
Gracie, I did the same thing! It’s in one of the Ramona books too, how the kids used big cans and the littlest kid, probably a toddler, used tuna cans, so she wouldn’t have far to fall!
i did the can shoes too!
More memories! I also remember that they didn’t last very long. It only took a short time before we fell off and stepped on the side of the can ruining them. I seem to remember putting round blocks in them to provide better strength.
I think there was either an uncle or neighbor that smoked who had some tobacco cans which were much stronger.
All fun. What kids like to do !
Pity that you are being accused of not keeping Ari or her clothes clean (or correctly sized) now…
Feel free to email me directly…
Such a wealth of creative play you have always given your child. A rare and beautiful thing, to truly parent. May she benefit mightily and in all ways continue to be extraordinary. Kudos!
I loved the Ramona books. We’ve see alot of stilt walkers here in the city. My son loves them. I was going to do coffee can ones a few weeks ago but forgot. Thanks for the reminder. I love your parenting style.
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[...] and I have done some fun projects this week. After our last fiasco with stilts, which were a bit of a failure, we decided to make some more traditional stilts using coffee cans [...]
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