Crafts

Balance Toy

Here’s a perfect rainy day (or any kind of day) activity. Your kids will have a good time decorating this balance toy and finding things to get it to stabilize.

Balance Toy Play

Supplies you’ll need:

  • Thick cardboard
  • Scissors
  • Craft knife
  • Paint or markers
  • Hole punch
  • Paper clip
  • Washers and/or nuts

Steps:

  1. First draw a circle on the cardboard.  An 8” salad plate works great as a stencil for this.  Sketch the following pattern onto the circle then cut out. Balance Toy Shape
  2. Punch a hole near the bottom tip.  Decorate the balance toy with paint or whatever medium you prefer.  Allow to dry.
  3. Then open up a paper clip so that it looks like a narrow S.  Hook one end into the hole.  And that’s it! You’re ready to play with your new balance toy.

Set your finger under the middle point and feed on some washers or nuts onto the paper clip hook.  How many pieces do you need to balance it out?  This balance toy makes an excellent key holder as well.

Balance Toy Main

Just be sure to keep one washer on at all times if you do.  You can find out why on your own.

Have fun!