How To Make Wooden Stilts

 

For Christmas last year, my cousin and his wife gave the boys these awesome stilts that they made (they got the idea from Made by Joel). Not only are these tons of fun, they also work on balance and coordination…therefore an excellent gross motor activity.

 

 

We decided to take them along to Big Brother’s camping party to use for tree trunk stompers! They were a hit and it was so fun to watch the kids walk on them!

 

 

I really like this version because they can either be used flat with younger kids (like in the picture above) or they can be turned on their ends for older kids wanting to walk ‘taller’ (like in the picture below).

 

 

Using my keen observation skills (once again), here’s what I can gather about how to make them. Keep in mind, I myself did not make these. They were an amazing gift and one that we are greatly enjoying!

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 4×4 piece of lumber

saw
drill
strong rope (be sure to double-check that it is lead-free rope)
sandpaper 

1. Using a saw, cut two 6-inch blocks of wood from the 4×4 lumber. Sand the edges, if necessary.

2. Drill a hole through the center of the wood block, big enough for the rope to fit through (the holes in ours are about 1/2″ in diameter).

3. Cut two pieces of rope about 52 inches long (or measure on your child to see what the right length might be).

4. Slide the rope through the holes of both wood blocks and tie a strong knot.

 

 

And it’s perfectly okay to try them out yourself too! :)

 

6 Comments

  1. Ooh, I love the idea of using thicker wood for the more advanced vertical option! I’ll have to make some like this for my kids. Nice!

    Thanks Jenae!

  2. Awesome! I used to have a pair of these when I was a kid made from those big metal coffee cans. I can still hear the clanking sound on my driveway. I bought my kids a plastic set of dinosaur feet ones for my daughter’s dino bday, and they fell apart pretty quickly. I LOVE toys made from wood! These are going on my husband’s To Do list, along with your wooden blocks. Love your ideas, Janae!

  3. LOVE this idea! I had to put it on Pinterest. Next, I need to bother my FIL to see if he has any scrap 4X4 blocks to make a pair of these.

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