Fun baby projects

[affordablehousing]

Forum, Didn't get any response on the children page so wanted to ask here with other building enthusiasts. Having our first kid and wanting to do a few projects in advance. There's some obvious ones like cribs or bassinets but anyone build anything unusual, useful and fun?

[J Boogie]

For my little guy, I built a small cabinet that covers our non-functioning fireplace.  I trimmed it out like the rest of our victorian house so it looks like a little doorway where a dog or small person might enter.  Still finishing this one.

He likes to climb on the kitchen stool I built.  A lot of people build baby towers for the kitchen so their kids can hang out there safely while you cook.

I am also in the process of converting his bedroom door into a dutch door so we can keep him in there but still interact with him when we're cooking/cleaning.  It was also covered in lead paint so I am painting it with ecobond to deal with that.

I plan on making some kids toys too involving joints and stuff.

I also built some rounded over nesting oak coffee tables to replace our sharp edged marble coffee table.  Check me out on instagram - j.welterweight if you want to see some of this stuff.

Overall baby proofing has been the cause of most of my little one related projects.

[affordablehousing]

AWESOME! Thanks J Boogie these are such cool ideas. Love the notion of a kitchen tower, and the dutch door too. I'll make sure I follow your gram.

Thanks

[I'm a red panda]

We just built a pikler triangle. Right now she uses it to steady herself while sitting, and enjoys holding onto it while standing, as well as chewing the wooden rods.

It will get good play later to help her pull up, to climb on, to hang from.

Kitchen tower is definitely on the list.

DH built a great rocking horse for our nephew.  He also built a gorgeous baby gate for the stairs that blends with our decor.

[Mountainbug]

We built a "busy board" which our son loved, and now we're doing a climbing wall for him as he loves the one at the park. I'm hoping the wall will keep him entertained all winter!

[Poundwise]

Don't have a photo of it because we gave it away, but made a wooden "popper" toy for toddlers to push around. Basically, you cut two wooden disks about 6" in diameter. Drill holes around the circumferences and attach them with dowels to make a kind of drum shape. Inside this drum, place a big round bell, a wooden ball, and a wooden block. Insert two dowel pegs in the outside centers of the disks to serve as axles.  Then use a jigsaw to make a U-shape with holes drilled on the ends to hold the axles. All parts are painted bright colors.

Attach a long handle with a crosspiece and you have a beautiful popper to rival Fisher-Price!