INVENTION CONVENTION-DAY TWO!

Inventing is messy!

I am soooo sorry! I forgot all about coming back to finish up this post! We have experienced a ton of computer glitches. Turns out we had the "Fun Virus" that keeps reinventing itself! We might just be fixed up now, thanks to a tech savey son! However, I am now having trouble with pictures! Grrrr


Day two started with pancakes that the kids
were free to choose, invent a topping for. The younger kids invented a match game from the cover of cereal boxes. 

cereal box match game





Grandpa and the older kids got busy creating a Water Wall. A heavy plastic mesh was mounted to the fence. to it they attached hoses, funnels, water bottles, swim noodle, PVC pipe, etc. This carried water from one point through the maze and watered the flowers! Grandpa recruited our son and his one year old to help.

 

Lunch was mac and cheese re-invented. We added mix-ins such as broccoli, bacon, more cheese or bread crumbs



The marble track



Using the Foamerator

The older kids had some "inventions" they had picked out in the spring when we met to plan. The younger kids invented their own games for a little while as the older ones got busy. The most popular was the marshmallow launcher made from a tissue box. The kids had fun "testing" it by catching the marshmallows.

We also made a Foamerator (Family Fun Magazine) from cutting the bottom out of a 20 ounce water bottle and attaching a wash cloth over the end with a rubber band. The you dip the cloth in water and then dish soap. When you blow through the top of the bottle the bubbles come out in a long snake of foamy mini-bubbles.

A marble track was made from paper plates that have a rim around the edge. Cut out the middle and then cut the rim part into various sizes and tape together to make twist and turns as desired. This is then elevated by taping various hiegths of paper towel tubes to the bottom. You can even have the track go through the tubes.

A "picnic saver" was invented. Hook and loop fasteners were attached to the picnic table cloth and then to the bottom of a can to hold a paper cup and the bottom of a wicker paper plate holder to keep your paper dinnerware from blowing away! Very clever, he came up with this on his own!

The kids used odds and ends from my MacGuyver stash to make a fun gizmo that knocked a juice can into a truck that rolled into a post that lifted a pin releasing a toy truck. The truck rolled down an incline knocking over a can that was holding a string taut. When the string was released it allowed a toy sand shovel to dispense a marble into a funnel. The marble then rolled into a wrapping paper tube into a wooden marble maze that we had borrowed from friends! If you think that was confusing, you should have been there while trying to get it to work!

It was a hot day so the "inventors" made sponge balls with scoops to play with. it was fun and of course turned into a giant water fight!

We made Minions! They are so cute! Even the big kids made one. They were made by stuffing a toilet paper tube with newspaper. Make sure that the newspaper is kind of rounded on the end that you push up through the tube, it makes it easier to get a smooth head. We then used paper mache' to cover the whole thing and then painted it.An eye or two were glued on and then some final details with a permanent maker. The big kids were a lot of help with this!

When the parents arrived, the kids showed off their inventions.

The parents were then given 30 minutes to "invent" something as a couple. They could choose up to 10 items from the MacGuyver stash and their "invention" had to have moving parts!! They all lived up to the challenge. It was alot of fun!

Dinner was another invention of the kids: Spaghizza (commonly known as spaghetti pie)



My daughter in-law made Minion cupcakes that were sooooo cute. It was killing my grandson to wait to eat one!