Here’s a quick and easy balance you can rig up with your kids. Gather a few supplies, and you, too, can answer the burning question – which Chipmunk is the heaviest?

Materials:

• clothes hanger
• yarn or string
• paper or plastic cups (strawberry baskets work well, too)
• hole punch
• tape (optional)

I think you can see the simple assembly in the photo. Punch two holes in each cup, string with yarn, and tie to the hanger. My girls ended up taping the yarn to each end of the hanger, since heavy objects made the cups slide around.

Take turns holding the balance, or use a cabinet handle or door knob as a helper.

We had a fun time comparing the weights of remotes, crayons, coins, plastic animals, and of course, Chipmunks. (In case you are wondering, Simon was the heaviest. Maybe it’s his glasses?)

Happy playing!

I think I’ve mentioned before that my girls are into detectives, spies, secret codes, and all things mysterious (not scary!). They are reading Nancy Drew Notebooks, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, Encyclopedia Brown, Jigsaw Jones, and Cam Jansen book series like crazy!

I’ve been gathering ideas for detective/spy kits for quite a while, so we decided to make them for Christmas gifts this year. I think the girls are going to love their detective kits!

I finally had a few daylight hours without the girls so I could take some photos – this secret gift-making and blogging is hard to do when the girls and I are home together every day! Here is a peek at what’s inside:

Each super-sleuthing detective kit contains:

• Rearview Mirror Spy Glasses – I found these at Cost Plus World Market. Land of Nod has them as well.

• Invisible Ink Pen (with black light in the lid) – I also found a two-pack of these pens at Cost Plus World Market.

• Disguise – less than a dollar each at a local party store

• Small file folders – I made these from colored card stock.

• Stickers – I printed labels that say Top Secret, Confidential, Property of…, and Evidence.

• Two-Way Radio – The big-ticket item in these kits are the two-way radios. I know the girls are going to have such fun with these walkie-talkies. This set of Motorola Two-Way Radios was around $40 on Amazon. (We’ll use them for family hikes, too.)

I wanted a briefcase-type container for the detective kits and I found these Art Bin containers at the craft store. With coupons, they were under $5 each and seem nice and sturdy.

I had to fancy them up a bit, though, so I added some patterned paper and a name tag to each briefcase.

We’re also including a few books for more detective inspiration:

• Spy Science by Jim Wiese
• The Usborne Detective’s Handbook by Colin King
• Mini Mysteries (American Girl)
• The I Love Mysteries Fun Book (American Girl)

I’d like to add a Walkie-Talkie Dictionary (@ Classic Play) and a few secret code accessories, like a cipher wheel or alphabet symbol code. We’re also including a small combination lock so they can lock their briefcases if they have secret evidence inside.

I’m planning to see lots of imaginative sleuthing play around here in the new year – hope I don’t end up as a suspect!

I’m back with Part 2 of my hobby starter gift ideas. This time, I’ve gathered ideas for little gardeners, illustrators, and rock hounds. Enjoy!

Gardening

DIY Tutorials:

Chalkboard Plant Markers :: Home Stories A to Z

Flower Planting Kit :: Let’s Explore

Plant Care Apron :: Sew Liberated

Shredded Paper Seed Starters :: MADE

Books:

Good Growing: A Kid’s Guide to Gardening (Klutz Books)

Green Thumbs: A Kid’s Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening by Laurie Carlson

Grow It, Cook It (DK Publishing)

Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy

The Family Kitchen Garden by Karen Liebreich, Jutta Wagner, & Annette Wendland

Supplies & Kits:

Kid’s Big Tool Set (garden rake, spade, hoe, leaf rake) – Toysmith

Kid’s Mudd Gloves – Gardening With Kids

Kid’s Wheelbarrow – Radio Flyer

Rubber Boots

Seed Packets

Watering Can

Wrap it up in a colorful Tubtrug, plastic watering can, kid-size wheelbarrow, or plastic planting pot.

Drawing & Cartooning

DIY Tutorials:

Fabric Journals :: A Beautiful Mess

No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll :: small + friendly

Rustic Pencil Holder :: Strawberry Chic

Books:

Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, & Alexis Frederick-Frost

Art for Kids: Cartooning by Art Roche

How to Draw a Happy Witch by Joy Sikorski

How to Draw Animals (Usborne)

How to Draw Fairies and Mermaids (Usborne)

Make a World by Ed Emberley

Supplies & Kits:

Blank Comic Books - Bare Books

eeBoo Sketchbooks

Faber-Castell GRIP Colored Eco-Pencils

Paper Mate Flair Colored Pens

Wrap it up with a big piece of easel paper, ready for doodling!

Rock Collecting

DIY Tutorials:

Easy Drawstring Bag :: The Purl Bee

Geology Learning Kit :: Live Your Art

Nature Explorer Bag :: Chez Beeper Bebe

Books:

Geology Rocks! 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth by Cindy Blobaum

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk

If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian

Rocks and Minerals by DK

Rocks and Minerals – Peterson Field Guide

Supplies & Kits

Break Open Real Geodes Kit

Carson 5″ BigEye Magnifier

Collection Display Box – Home Science Tools

Mini Me Geology – all kinds of kits, supplies, etc.

Rock and Crystal Excavation Kit – Geo Central

Rocks and Minerals :: imaginechildhood.com

Rock Tumbler

Load the supplies in a plastic tote, basket, or small backpack.

Phew! That’s a long list of ideas for creating a custom hobby starter kit for your favorite kiddos. Here’s a link to Part 1 (sewing, cooking, and photography), in case you missed it!