DIY BALANCE BEAM

DIY 2x4 Balance Beam
Supplies Needed: 2x4" Lumber
Optional Supplies: Paint, Brushes, Sealant

The balance beam is a simple but versatile addition to any home program. A balance beam can be used to work on balance (obviously) as well as core strength, bilateral coordination, visual-vestibular and more. There are so many ways to incorporate the beam into different activities and exercises.

Balance beams can be made from duct tape, lumber, ribbon or chalk. You can increase the difficulty of a beam by raising it off the ground or making it more narrow. We will show you in another blog how to incorporate some fun additions to the beam to target different sensory systems. For now, let's take a look at the DIY 2x4" Balance Beam.

Start with a 2x4" piece of lumber. This can be found at any hardware store and is relatively inexpensive. The lumber can be purchased in different lengths and compositions. For this project, I purchased a piece of Prime Kiln Dried Whitewood Stud Board that was 2 inches x 4 inches by 96 inches for about $3 from The Home Depot. Look for a board with little to no bowing for a more balanced beam.

To make the board a little more fun, I painted one side with a Halloween theme and one side with a Christmas theme. You could paint yours however you like--maybe you want it to match your child's bedroom, or something nature-themed, a favorite character, etc. You can even use the paint to tie in more games. Notice how my beam is broken into sections. These will come in handy later for directional games, numbered steps, etc. If you do decide your paint your board, it's pretty simple, so just have fun with it.

To paint the balance beam, you may need to sand your board if you have any rough edges, chips or splinters. Just grab any fine grit paper and smooth the board out. You will need paints, brushes and some sort of sealant. For my project, I used a combination of cheap acrylic paints from the craft store and paintbrushes from the dollar store. (Note: I used spray paint on the Christmas side as my base coat and it took forever to dry. If I had to do this again, I would stick to the acrylics.) "Pro" tip: You can use a hair dryer between coats to speed up the drying process. It only takes a couple of minutes for the acrylic paints to dry. Once your paint has dried, let it sit over night to cure. Then, cover your balance beam in some sort of sealant to keep the paint from chipping later. You can use polyurethane, clear coat or mod podge. The mod podge worked great for me and can even be purchased at the dollar store. Use a foam brush for a smooth finish.

If you try this easy DIY Balance Beam, be sure to let us know. Click here to post a picture to our Facebook page.

EASY DIY BEAN BAGS

EASY DIY BEAN BAGS

Last week, we showed you how to make an easy DIY Balance Beam. Here's a cheap and easy way to add a fun activity to the beam. You may even have all of these supplies at home. If not, hit your local dollar store. 

Supplies Needed:

UNCOOKED RICE

SOCKS

Optional Supplies:

FUNNEL

RUBBER BANDS

SCISSORS

BUCKETS OR BOWLS

1. Pour the rice into the foot of the sock. Using a funnel makes this step easier but you can do without it if you like. Using a youth sock works best for a standard sized bean bag. Use enough rice to fill the sock to a "full but workable" consistency. You don't want to overfill it to the point of stiffness. 

2. Tie the tube of the sock in a knot or use rubber bands to close the opening. Make sure you wrap the band enough times to keep it from sliding off of opening.

3. If you have excess fabric at the top, just trim it off using scissors. You can use the excess for a festive wrist band or sensory fidget. 

Line some buckets or bowls along side your balance beam to toss the bags into.

Make bean bags with different texture by exchanging the rice for dried beans, uncooked macaroni noodles, pony beads, etc.

Use painter's tape to put "targets" on the floor to aim the bags at.

The possibilities are endless. If you try this easy DIY, we'd love to hear about it. Let us know on our Facebook Page.