How to Make Homemade Walking Stilts
Little kids dream of being big and tall. One way to get around waiting for them to grow tall naturally is to build a pair of walking stilts for them. Making a pair of walking stilts isn't difficult and it's a fun project to work on together with your child. Homemade walking stilts are an inexpensive homespun toy that will provide endless hours of entertainment. Best of all, no batteries required.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 pine boards, 2 inches by 2 inches
- 2 boards, 2 inches by 4 inches
- Hand saw
- Sandpaper, coarse
- Wood screws
- Tape measure
- Electric drill
- Screwdriver bit
- Leather
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Cut two 2-by-2-inch pine boards as tall as the child. Sand the edges and the face of the pine to protect hands against slivers.
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2
Wood screw a block of 2-by-4-inch board to one face of each 2 by 2. Set them about 12 inches from one end. Make the blocks about 4 inches long each, big enough for the child's foot to easily stand on it.
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3
Cut two strips of old leather 1 to 2 inches wide and long enough to run from the outside edge of the 2-by-4-inch block diagonally to the side of the 2-by-2-inch upright. Wood screw the leather strips into place. This will keep the foot from sliding off the sides of the block of wood.
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Tips & Warnings
Have the child wear gloves, a helmet and knee pads while walking with the stilts.
If the wood uprights are very rough after sanding, apply a clear coat of wood varnish.
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
