My son had these in his preschool class. I thought they were really neat and wanted to have one at home. Have you seen the prices of these? I know they are worth it, but if I can make one inexpensively…why not?
All you need are colored rubber bands, black paint (helps the rubber bands show up better), ruler, rounded tip nails, hammer, and a wood plaque. You can use any piece of wood, but the store bought plaques are already have smooth routed edges.
I bought the rubber bands, plaque, and nails at Walmart and spent only $5.50. Your prices may vary, but it should be close. Here are the exact nails I bought. I had a hard time finding adequate ones at the home improvement store.
I had my son paint the plaque black with a small roller. This provides a nice even coat with quick drying time.
While he was painting I marked the nails with a red marker. This way I could keep the height of the nails even. I just lined a bunch up and made one mark across then at once. It was very easy.
Once the paint dried I made a grid on the board of 1 inch squares. [When I make another one I will make 1.5 inch squares, to give a little more space.]
Then I hammered the nails until the red line was in the wood. This is what it looked like all done.
It looks a like a medieval torture device, but it isn’t sharp at all. It could still hurt someone if not properly supervised, though.
This is definitely for preschoolers and not toddlers. I would suggest supervising, at least the first few times it is played with.
My son had a great time with it. He was so excited and recognized this from his classroom. What a great way to practice fine motor skills and experiment with shapes.
We plan on making a few more for friends. They were such a hit.
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Kim is a contributing writer for No Time For Flash Cards, a mom to a toddler, a preschooler, and a foster parent, too. She juggles her day by trying out fun activities and crafts with the kids. After all, she is just a big kid herself. See what she has been up to over at Mom Tried It.
I love it! Thank you so much for sharing this. I have a 3-year-old that loves shapes too. What kind of paint did you use?
.-= Jenn Collette´s last blog ..I <3 The Road Photo Contest =-.
I can’t wait to make one! What a fun idea. Where do you get the roller brushes from? I’d like to get one. Thanks for sharing!
@Jenn – I used regular acrylic craft paint that I had on hand. I think your 3 yr old will have a ton of fun with this.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Activities for Different Levels =-.
What a neat idea! I know my son would love this. Definitely going to make one!! Thanks for the instructions!
I have a little blogaward for you at my blog. It is just a little something to say thank you so much for sharing! Thanks for all the ideas and all the inspiration. I just love this place!
Hey! We have a pic of our geoboard in use this week too! So much fun! Check it out in the link!
Thanks,
Jody
.-= Jody from Mommy Moment´s last blog ..What weve been up to! =-.
how fun!!! i think this is going on my “to make” list!
I also use those fun shaped rubber bands (sillybandz) on the geoboard in addition to the regular rubber bands….it makes it even more fun for the kids and you get your money worth out of those trendy (and overpriced) bracelets!) : )
This is great! My preschooler will love this!
The LOs would love to help make this and play with it. thanks for sharing.
i totally remember playing with these as a kid! thanks for the great diy idea! my kids are going to have so much fun with it 🙂
I can’t quite see the words on the nails – are those wire brads? I couldn’t find anything rounded at my Walmart…
.-= Lenetta @ Nettacow´s last blog ..Build a Couch – Guest Post =-.
I just made one for my 5 year old. THANK YOU!!! She needs work with her fine motor skills and I think this’ll be a “fun” way for her to get those fingers stronger.
You have helped to make an effective learning tool affordable. :o)
I blogged today about the geoboard we made based on yours! I’d be happy if you checked it out!
http://momistheonlygirl.blogspot.com/2010/11/our-geoboard.html
Thanks for the great idea!