How to Make a DIY Ball Swing

If you're looking for an easy DIY kids swing to make for your kids, then try this DIY ball swing.

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Our long, cold winters are the main reason we installed swing hooks in our playroom in the first place. Then we discovered my son was a vestibular sensory seeker so swings became an absolute must.

And I must admit that I'm a wee bit addicted to making DIY kids swing. Just a bit.

Our latest sensory swing hack is this ball swing, which will have you singing Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" in no time.

...or is that just me who sings randomly about things going on around me?

Well, Miley or not, the kids had a blast with this DIY kid swing. It's also super simple and inexpensive to make.

Important Safety Precautions & Reminders for Using DIY Swings for Kids

When it comes to DIY kids swings like this ball swing, it's always best to keep these things in mind:

• Always test homemade swings first before letting children play with them. 

• Do not leave children unattended on swings. 

• Put swings away when not in use. 

• Make sure that the swing is in a clear, unobstructed space. 

• I am not responsible for injuries or damage pertaining to or caused by this DIY swing. 

• Please use at your own risk.

• The handle on the hopper ball may eventually rip or tear, so look for signs of wear before using it as a swing.

DIY Ball Swing for Kids: What You'll Need

This sensory swing is super easy to make. All you need is:

• Hopper ball - We picked up ours for $10

• Rope - We used the leftover 1/4" nylon diamond braid rope from our homemade taco swing

How to Make a DIY Ball Swing

The inspiration for this DIY ball swing came from Play at Home Mom LLC where they made a ball swing for under $5.

However, our swing hooks are installed in an extra wide doorway, so if we were to tie our ball swing to only one hook, then the kids would have ran into the door frame, surely hurting themselves.

Instead, I used two ropes and tied them to our swing hooks (you can see how our swing hooks are installed here).

Just tie the ropes around the handle and the swing hooks using a non-slip knot. Be sure to test the swing before putting your kids on it! The kids always love watching me attempt to swing on these DIY swings first...so many giggles!

Once you've done the weight test and ensured it can hold an adult's weight, it's finally time to let the kids try it out.

The kids had a blast with this swing, especially trying to climb on and off by themselves (as it's tricky to climb onto a round ball hanging in mid air!).

Other Ways to Play with the DIY Ball Swing

Four year old K was perfectly content to hit the ball swing back and forth with his hands for about 20-30 minutes. So let them chase and hit the swing as much as they'd like! 

You could also try these ideas:

• Hitting the ball back and forth with a partner

• Hitting the ball with a plastic bat

• Hitting the ball with a tennis racket

• Hitting the ball with alternating hands (hit it with left hand first and then the right hand when the ball comes back)

Other DIY Sensory Swings You'll Love

Homemade Taco Sensory Swing

DIY Sensory Swing Made from a Woven Wrap

DIY Platform Swing for Kids

How to Make a Big Homemade Parachute for Kids

DIY parachutes are totally something you can make on your own. Here's how to make a homemade parachute for kids using dollar store shower curtains.

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I think I'm rather genius for making this homemade parachute, especially since it's a fraction of the price of a store-bought one. I ended up making it for only $6 using shower curtains found at the dollar store.

Yes, $6!!

The inspiration came to me a few months ago...we have a shower curtain that we use as a splat mat for K when we eat in the dining room as we have light colored carpet in there (who puts white carpet in a dining room in the first place??). I was attempting to fold the shower curtain when K started lifting it and wiggling it. So I started moving it up and down like a parachute. He thought it was awesome and couldn't stop laughing. And that's when I had my aha moment!

I wondered...could I make a big play parachute out of shower curtains?

Obviously the answer is yes!

Here's the tutorial for how to sew a parachute out of dollar store shower curtains.

Homemade Parachute: What You'll Need

The overall cost for this DIY parachute is pretty low considering I used materials from the dollar store to make it happen. As I mentioned above, I only spent $6 on materials.

It's also rather large. This tutorial will help you make a parachute that is roughly 10' in diameter.

Here's what I used to make this homemade play parachute:

• 4 shower curtains (not fabric ones) - I paid $1.50 for each one.

• Scissors

• Sewing machine

• Thread in a coordinating color

Tutorial: How to Make a Big Play Parachute for Kids

I should mention that I am terrible at taking photos while I make any project so I do not have pictures for every step in the tutorial. So hopefully I can describe the process clearly enough.

It took me about 2 hours to make the entire parachute.

Step 1: Find the top of the shower curtain where the curtain hooks would go.  Cut that part off.  Repeat for all four shower curtains.

Step 2: Lay the shower curtain on the floor and fold diagonally (i.e., match top left corner with bottom right).  Cut along the fold.  Repeat for all four shower curtains.  You should end up with eight pieces.

Step 3: Lay out all the pieces on the floor (or outside if you need more space).  Be sure to organize it in the order that you want the final parachute to be.  When all the pieces are laid out, it should form a rectangle.

Step 4: Pick two neighboring pieces to start with.  Sew the right sides together.  I used a 4/8" seam allowance.  Well, I tried to...I don't always sew straight.

Step 5: Find the next piece and sew right sides together.  Repeat until all eight pieces have been sewn together.  It should form the large rectangle that you had laid out back in step 3.  It was at this point that I realized that my crazy idea was actually working out!

Step 6: (Optional) Fold the rectangle until it forms a large diamond, with the center of the parachute at the top.  Try to flatten the material as best as you can.  Cut the top of the diamond in a semi-circle shape.

Step 7: (Optional, but necessary if you decided to do step 6) Unfold the diamond so that you return to your rectangular parachute.  There should now be a circle in the middle of the parachute.  Sew a hem along this inner circle.

Step 8: Cut your entire parachute into a circle.  This step took a few practice cuts on a piece of folded paper before I figured out the easiest way to cut the parachute.  I didn't want to screw it up, so that's why I practiced with paper first.  I suggest you do the same.  Or lay the parachute out fully and cut it in a circle that way.  Do whatever is easiest.

Step 9: Hem the outer edge of the parachute.  I made a really huge hem so that the kids would have a better spot to hang onto when playing with the parachute.

Step 10: (Optional) Make handles using the scraps and sew them onto the parachute.  I didn't make handles (too lazy!) and the kids have had no problem hanging onto the parachute so that's why this step is optional.

That's it! You did it. You made a big play parachute!

DIY Parachute: The Finished Result!

The parachute ended up being approximately 10 feet in diameter, so it is quite large.

We can play with it in our basement (which will be perfect for rainy days and cold winter days), but I can't wait to use it outdoors. Now if only the snow would go away...

I tried numerous times to take a picture of the parachute in action, but the kids ended up all blurry and I had to help hang onto the parachute. Regardless, here are a few pictures to show you what it looks like.

Here is how large the parachute is in comparison with an 18 month old toddler.

Here's the parachute, folded in half, laying on my couch.

Final Thoughts on this DIY Parachute

I love how well this parachute turned out. It's so bright and cheery!

And the fact that it's translucent is a bonus because I can always tell where a child is underneath it.

It's also homemade and inexpensive, which are two more reasons to love it.

**DISCLAIMER: Never leave your child unattended with the parachute.  It's essentially a gigantic plastic bag.**

Other DIY Sensory Tools & Autism Hacks You'll Love

DIY Mario Climbing Wall

How to Make a DIY Sensory Tunnel

DIY Sensory Bed Sheet

How to Make Pokeballs

Easy DIY pokeballs for kids. Find out how to make a pokeball with this quick tutorial.

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We've fully embraced the world of Pokemon in our house. And have for years.

Since things are a little Pokemon-obsessed around here from time to time, I thought it would be fun to let the kids make DIY pokeballs, as we've already designed our own Pokemon cards.

These homemade pokeballs make a great craft for older kids and are an awesome homemade toy for encouraging imaginative play. But I could see them making a great party favor for a Pokemon themed birthday as well.

How to Make a Pokeball - A Super Easy DIY!

Here's what we used to make our DIY pokeballs:

• Styrofoam balls - Pick a size that will fit comfortably in your child's hands.

• Permanent markers

I started off by making the regular Pokeballs for the kids. Then six year old J made one of this own as well, but of course, it disappeared by the time I could take pictures. His turned out really great though!

So depending on the age of your child, they could certainly make their own Pokeballs as well. It would be a great craft for kids who really love Pokemon.

Or have your child design their own Pokeballs using these free Pokeball coloring sheets before making the 3D version.

I also tried making some of the other types of pokeballs, including an Ultra Ball and a Great Ball, which the kids love as well. However, these two are K's favorite of the bunch.

These DIY Pokeballs are great for encouraging imaginative play since the boys pretend to be Pokemon trainers releasing their Pokemon for battle. Simply toss the Pokeball and call a Pokemon's name!

Other Ideas You'll Love

DIY Pokemon Cards {Free Printable Template}

Free Printable Pokeballs Coloring Sheet

Best Board Games for Kids

DIY Color Blocks for Kids

Tutorial for how to make your own set of DIY color blocks for light play. A video tutorial is included.

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My kids enjoy playing with light, whether it's exploring natural light or mirrors or playing with our DIY light table.

So oftentimes, I find myself creating homemade materials to aide them in their curiousness of light play.

These DIY color blocks are just one of the many homemade light table toys that I have made. At just a fraction of the cost, these color blocks can be made in just a few minutes with simple materials from the dollar store.

They're so pretty and way cheaper than the store bought versions.

About Our Homemade Color Blocks for Light Play

I have always admired color blocks.  I think they are gorgeous on light tables and overhead projectors, but even more beautiful in natural light.  I just don't like the price tag that goes along with them.  Sure, color blocks aren't all that expensive, but when you think about what they are actually made of, I figured I could make something similar for much cheaper.

And I did!

My price tag: $3.00.

Only three dollars?!  Well, actually I could have done it for $1.50 if I had bought my supplies at the dollar store versus the liquidation center.  Next time...darn it...next time!

Tutorial for How to Make DIY Color Blocks from Dollar Store Wooden Blocks

To make these blocks, you will need a game of wooden tumbling towers (aka Jenga).  Mine were $3.00, but like I said, I found them cheaper at the dollar store.

You will also need some colorful translucent duotangs or transparencies (also found at the dollar store).  I used the leftover transparencies from my homemade light table manipulatives.

Then grab some scissors and your hot glue gun.  I promise these are really easy to make.

To make one block, you will need eight wood blocks from the tumbling towers "jenga" game and a piece of colored transparency.

1. Arrange four blocks into a square shape and hot glue gun it together so that it looks like a picture frame.

2. Cut a piece of transparency so that it's big enough to cover the middle of the "picture frame."

3. Lightly glue the transparency into place, just so that it won't move on you.

4. Then create another picture frame shape with the remaining four blocks.

5. Hot glue it onto the picture frame with the transparency on it.  I didn't take pictures along the way, but you can always watch the accompanying video tutorial for an overview of how to assemble the blocks.

Repeat multiple times, using a different colored transparency for each block.  I ended up with six blocks in each of the following colors: orange, yellow, clear, green, blue, and purple.

Playing with our Homemade Color Blocks for Kids

The only downside (or limitation) to my homemade version of the color blocks is that I could only make little rectangles or squares.  No semi-circles or triangles for me, but I'm okay with that because I love how mine turned out.  And more importantly, the boys love them!

They work great on the light table.

They would also work great with the overhead projector, but I think I love them the most in natural light. Seriously, look at how wonderful they look in front of a window.  Gorgeous!

And that's it!  Simple, frugal, and fabulous!

Other Ideas You'll Love

DIY Light Table Tutorial

Homemade Light Table Shape & Letter Manipulatives

Homemade Letter Stones

How to Make a DIY Platform Swing

Are you looking for a DIY platform swing tutorial? Find out how to make a platform swing for kids below.

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I bought my boys an amazing round platform swing from Costco.ca for less than $50 and it has been a great swing to use both indoors and out and the price was awesome.

But, shortly after we got the platform swing, I wondered if it was possible to make a DIY platform swing. It's an idea that I had in my mind for a few months and I was genuinely curious to see if it would work or not. Hint: it did.

I think it took me less than ten minutes to put this DIY platform swing together so it's easy. Really easy. And if you already have swing hooks installed, then you will require zero tools, other than a pair of scissors, for this project.

Important Safety Precautions & Reminders About Making this DIY Platform Swing

Before we dive into the tutorial, here are some important things to keep in mind whenever making a DIY indoor sensory swing for kids:

• Always test homemade swings first before letting children play with them.

• Do not leave children unattended on swings.

• Put swings away when not in use.

• Make sure that the swing is in a clear, unobstructed space.

• I am not responsible for injuries or damage pertaining to or caused by this DIY swing.

• Please use at your own risk.

DIY Platform Swing for Kids: What You'll Need How to Make a DIY Platform Swing for Kids

The inspiration for this DIY platform swing is this DIY bungee swing.

But instead of a bungee chair, I used a mini trampoline as the base of this platform swing.

Why a mini trampoline?

Well, a mini trampoline already has a padded cushion around the frame. It also already has a strong frame that can support a lot of weight. Plus, the legs can be easily removed from the mini trampoline. It is really the perfect base for a DIY platform swing.

So here's what you'll need to make this platform swing for kids:

• A mini trampoline with removable legs - You can usually get one for under $30

• 2 carabiner hooks - I used ones that could hold 100+ lbs each

• 1/4" nylon diamond braid rope - The amount you need will depend on how low to the ground you want your swing to be. I used the leftover rope from when we made our homemade taco sensory swing. You can also use thicker rope if you'd like.

• Scissors

• Tape - I used regular Scotch clear tape.

How to Make a Platform Swing for Kids

STEP 1: Remove the legs from the mini trampoline.

STEP 2: Determine how low you want the swing to hang by measuring from the ceiling (where the swing will be mounted) to the approximate height off of the ground that you want.

STEP 3: Cut the rope slightly longer than the measurement from step 2. Repeat until you have 4 pieces of rope. OR Double the measurement from step 2 and add an extra 12 inches or so. Cut 2 pieces of rope that length. There are two different ways to hang the swing. I went with two long ropes for our swing.

STEP 4: Tie the ropes onto the mini trampoline either by tying each of the 4 ropes to the frame of the trampoline OR looping the rope around the frame on two ends and then tying the rope at the top to form a triangle. We went with the second method. 

**The rope needs to be tied or looped around the frame quite widely. I looped the rope around the frame about the same distance as two of the trampoline legs would be. Tying the rope with a wide stance will prevent the swing from tipping.**

Tip: You may want to look up how to tie non-slip knots to ensure that your knots are going to hold the weight of the swing and your child.

STEP 5: Tie the other ends of the ropes to the carabiner hooks. Again, be sure to use a non-slip knot. Or, depending on how you cut the ropes, then you might want to loop the rope onto the carabiner hooks like we did in step 9 for the taco swing.

Tip: If any ends of the rope get frayed after cutting, then wrap the ends with tape.

STEP 6: Install swing hooks. You can see how ours are installed here.

STEP 7: Test it out! Before I ever put my own children in a homemade swing, I always test the weight limit myself. If it can hold me while I swing, then it can easily hold my kids.

  

Other DIY Sensory Swings You'll Love

DIY Ball Swing

DIY Sensory Swing Made from a Woven Wrap

Homemade Taco Swing

Mix & Match Creature Blocks

After cutting up oodles of pool noodles for our trampoline, I was left with little chunks of pool noodle blocks. On their own, the little pool noodle blocks make a great quiet time activity for kids, but I decided to spice them up to make them more interesting for my boys. So I came up with these DIY mix and match creature blocks. They're easy to make and are tons of fun to create with!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

To make these mix and match creature blocks, I used:

• Pool noodles, cut into small blocks
• Black permanent marker

Simply draw some heads, bodies, and legs on different pool noodle blocks. Line up the blocks while drawing the body parts so that the necks match with the head and/or the legs line up correctly with the start of the legs on the bodies. Be creative! Draw all sorts of different creatures.

And the more ridiculous and silly the better. A robo-horse anyone?

My oldest has really been into Pokemon, mainly Pikachu, lately so I had to create some Pikachu body parts.

These DIY creature blocks sparked hours of creativity and giggles. And many wacky creatures were made.

One thing to note, the permanent marker may rub off over time as the kids play. No worries. Just redraw the creatures or make some new ones!

Love this activity? Well, why not transform your Magna-Tiles into DIY creature puzzles. Don't worry, it's not permanent!

40 DIY Activity Table Hacks for Kids

I'm cheap frugal so when I am interested in getting an activity table for the kids, I always prefer to go the DIY route. I've already made a few homemade sensory and activity tables for the kids myself, but since this is my 500th post on my blog (wow!), I thought I would roundup some other amazing DIY activity tables for kids. From DIY art tables to DIY train tables to DIY LEGO tables, here are 40 beautiful activity tables to keep your kids busy and learning all year round.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

DIY Light Tables & Other Light Play Tables for Kids

Light Play Tables You Could Buy

• Whitney Brothers Light Table
• Ultra Bright LED Light Panel
• ALEX Toys - Early Learning Prism Light Centre
• Roylco Light Cube
• Whitney Brothers Play Table with Mirror Top

Light Play Tables You Could Make Instead

• DIY Light Table Tutorial
• Homemade Light Bright
• DIY Light Table & Light Bright Table from Play at Home Mom
• DIY Mirror Table from Epic Childhood

DIY Car & Train Tables for Kids

Car & Train Tables You Could Buy

• KidKraft Waterfall Mountain Train Set & Table
• Melissa & Doug Wooden Multi-Activity Table
• KidKraft Ride Around Train Set & Table
• Step2 Deluxe Canyon Road Train & Track Table
• KidKraft Train Table - Natural

Car & Train Tables You Could Make Instead

• DIY Road Table with Homemade Wooden Trees
• DIY Train Table from Small + Friendly
• DIY Train Table from My Life of Travels & Adventures
• DIY Outdoor Train Table from Play Trains!
• DIY Truck Table with Built-In Storage from Taylormade
• DIY Car Table with Storage from I am Momma Hear Me Roar

DIY Water & Sensory Tables for Kids

Water & Sensory Tables You Could Buy

• Step2 Splash & Scoop Bay
• Step2 Naturally Playful Sand Table
• Children's Factory Sensory Table & Lid Set
• Step2 Naturally Playful Sand & Water Centre
• Wood Designs Petite Tot Sand & Water Table with Lid
• See-Thru Sensory Table

Water & Sensory Tables You Could Make Instead

• DIY Farmhouse Sand & Water Table from Bumble & Bean
• DIY Custom 3 Level Water Table from Monkey Slaps
• DIY Sand & Water Table from Child at Heart
• DIY Sensory Table (IKEA Hack) from Pink Oatmeal
• DIY Water Table from Adventure in a Box
• DIY Yellow Chevron Water Table from A Lovely Lark
• DIY PVC Sensory Water Table from Busy Bugs
• Homemade Sensory Table from Teach Preschool
• Simple Sensory Bin Stand from Mama. Papa. Bubba.
• DIY Sensory Table Ikea Hack from In The Playroom

DIY LEGO Tables for Kids

LEGO Tables You Could Buy

• Imaginarium LEGO Activity Table
• KidKraft 2 in 1 Activity Table
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Multi-Activity Table
• Wood LEGO Table
• LEGO Education Playtable

LEGO Tables You Could Make Instead

• Homemade Reversible & Portable LEGO Table
• DIY LEGO Table with Painted Lego Head Bins from Infarrantly Creative
• DIY LEGO Table with Storage Basket from It's a Long Story
• Ikea Hack LEGO Table with Storage from Frugal Fun for Boys
• How to Build a LEGO Table from Kids Activities Blog
• DIY LEGO Table Ikea Hack with Storage from Sun Scholars
• Foldable LEGO Table from The Joys of Boys

DIY Art & Chalkboard Tables for Kids

Art Tables You Could Buy

• P'Kolino Chalk Table & Benches
• ALEX Toys Artist Studio Super Art Table
• Step2 Deluxe Art Master Desk
• Guidecraft Mega Creative Art Station

Art Tables You Could Make Instead

• DIY Indoor Chalkboard Table from The Imagination Tree
• DIY Chalkboard Table from I Heart Organizing
• DIY Art Table with Storage from Dukes & Duchesses
• Kids' Art Table Ikea Hack from Ikea Hackers
• DIY Magnetic Chalkboard Table from The Imagination Tree
• DIY Whiteboard Drawing Table from DIY Inspired
• Upcycled Art Desk from a Cupboard Door from iCandy Handmade
• DIY Kids Chalkboard Table from Fresh Mommy Blog

Other DIY Activity Tables for Kids

Other Activity Tables You Could Make

• Ultimate PVC Play Table in a Bag from Lalymom
• DIY Outdoor Checkers Game Table from Simply Designing with Ashley Phipps
• DIY Toddler Game Table from The 36th Avenue
• DIY Geoboard Table from Play at Home Mom
• DIY Ping Pong Table from Seaside Shelter

Want more hacks for kids? Try out one of these awesome 25 sensory hacks for kids.