If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook you'll see that we spent Sunday afternoon making a model of a roman amphitheatre for one of Theo's homework challenges. And he took over my Instagram stories for the day with a follow along tutorial of how he made it. It was SO fun! And I'm pretty sure we've got a future Blue Peter presenter in the making ;) So we wanted to put together a blog post tutorial too, just like our solar system one, in case it's any help when you need to make a roman amphitheatre. Because who doesn't need a roman amphitheatre in their lives?! We used: - some thick cardboard sheets - glue gun & glue - acrylic paints - a plate to draw around - a scalpel (for grown ups only) Theo did A LOT of research beforehand into exactly what type of model he wanted to make, and what he wanted his amphitheatre to look like. He LOVES this kind of thing! He started by drawing several circles around our plate on the cardboard. Luckily we have lots of these big sheets of cardboard at the studio leftover from when our wrapping paper gets delivered. But any thickish cardboard would work. We needed eight circles for our amphitheatre but you could use more or less depending on how tall you want it to be. I cut each one out using a scalpel. Theo did have a little try with the scalpel, while I held his hand, but he's a leftie and found it really difficult. So I did the tricky cutting. Once each circle was cut we made them into donut shapes with larger centre holes as we went. The bottom circle has the smallest hole and we each one about 1cm - 1.5cm bigger than the one underneath. So you want the outside of the circle to be the same size, but the inside to get smaller - hope that makes sense! These make the seats. Whilst I was cutting the circles Theo painted the base using acrylic paints. He wanted a sandy base so used yellow, orange, and cream paints, with some green splashes for grassy areas! - a top tip we found for painting sandy texture is to dab your brush onto the base rather than paint with strokes. So your dab dab dabbing to create a mottled texture. Once all of the circles were cut we got our trusty glue gun out and glued them together. Theo and Matilda are both really confident using a glue gun (all that wand making has paid off!). He started with the smallest ring at the bottom and then glued each one on top. Then he glued this whole structure to the base. To make the outer wall of the amphitheatre we cut a long strip of the same cardboard and Theo drew the shape of the wall he wanted - with one taller side. A really good tip for helping the wall to bend around your circular seats is to scalpel some vertical lines at regular intervals. Cut through about half of the depth of the cardboard, so it doesn't slice fully through. Keep the cut sides as the outside, and then you'll find it bends round really well. Theo drew some arches into the taller side of the wall and I cut them out. We thought this gave it an authentic tumbledown feel! Once they were cut we glued the wall around the outside of our circular seats. This was a little tricky and we took our time. We found gluing it in small sections worked best. We thought that the combination of the arches and the vertical slices gave a really good look to the outside wall. The slices worked really well! Theo drew some lower arch shapes around the wall to give a bit more detail and a more authentic look :) Once the amphitheatre was all put together we added a few details. A lion, of course! We just printed this and glued it onto some thin card before gluing it to the base. And Theo insisted on putting the gladiator on the steps outside of the amphitheatre - because why would he want to be inside with the lion?! Well exactly Theo! So there you have it. A pretty effective but really very simple to make roman amphitheatre. Theo absolutely loved making it and he learnt so much. Filming the process for his Instagram stories takeover worked brilliantly too, as he really thought extra hard about every step of the process so that he could explain it on camera. One of his 'grown up' career options is to be a set designer for films. I think he's off to a great start don't you?! If you have any questions do send them through - Theo is loving your messages and comments :) x ✂️ For more brilliant school project and craft ideas for children head to our Reuse & Recycle page. ✂️ Or have a browse of our Pinterest boards for even more school project, craft, and play ideas.
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I'm unveiling a treasure trove of Minecraft cherry blossom build ideas that will ignite your imagination and whisk you away to a world where pixel-perfect petals dance gracefully in the breeze.
Kids will LOVE these engineering challenges with craft sticks, cups, and wood cubes. Engaging, open-ended, and creative!
Chances are, you have packing tubes and paper towel rolls in a recycling bin. We sure did. Until we decided to build a cardboard castle out of recyclables.
The best part about a Lego brickset is that even if construction blocks were never your favorite toy, you can’t resist building something – anything – with Lego. The Danish company that started producing wooden toys as far back as the 1930s took creating worlds to a whole different level. Be it regular sets or themed ones, the variety of cool things to build with Legos caters to so many tastes. With new Lego sets coming out ever so often, you are guaranteed to never run out of things to build or ever get bored.
Building anything can be intimidating at first. Experienced woodworkers know the key to success is a good plan. A good woodworking plan is kind of like having a good road map before beginning a…
boy-knits-world-copenhagen-building-block | School of Stitched Textiles
Kids will LOVE these engineering challenges with craft sticks, cups, and wood cubes. Engaging, open-ended, and creative!
It’s around 3 or 4 a.m. and you’ve finally gotten the baby back to sleep. Gently, ever so gently, you place him back in the crib but his eyes are open before you’ve even had a chance to head back to bed! This is an episode every parent knows all too well. This rocking chair with crib is the perfect solution!
Use marbles and natural acorn caps to make acorn pendants for a necklace with this acorn marble necklace DIY jewelry-making tutorial.
Pamela Madore How to build a chicken. Keller Williams Realty http://pinkhouseteam.com If you can dream it you can build it
Build stone men. It's a fun relaxing activity for you and the kids. It doesn't cost anything and doesn't take much time. These stone men are known as Inuksuk in Canada.
Of all the many marble runs we’ve built over the years, this is our new favorite! Simple materials and sturdy construction make it a WIN for a wide variety of ages. This would be great for a classroom STEM challenge. It all started the other day when we needed a break from homeschooling. It has […]
No matter the age, kids love playing with mini cities. Building a city from is a great open ended activity for anyone, keeping kids busy for hours at a time. They require minimal materials and only things you can find around the house. It's also the perfect opportunity to talk about architecture and
I have made this popsicle money box with all my students and all of them were so overjoyed when they had finished. It really is a lovely thing and to make one yourself is a great achievement. The o…
Triangle Truss Bridges: Students design and build truss bridges, then test the strength of the bridge by attaching a scale. You can find the lesson plan, 1-page project sheet, and more project ideas at STEM-Inventions.com
The growth of youngsters can benefit greatly from paper projects. They foster the development of small-motor skills, creativity, brain function, social connection, and emotional health.
Since Labor Day is right around the corner, I thought now was the perfect time to teach him about helpers in the community.
Learn to make this fun and functional paper bag village kids craft that leaves so much room for imagination both while making it and afterwards!
I'm unveiling a treasure trove of Minecraft cherry blossom build ideas that will ignite your imagination and whisk you away to a world where pixel-perfect petals dance gracefully in the breeze.
National Skyscraper Day is September 3rd, the birthday of Louis Henry Sullivan, the “father of skyscrapers.” To celebrate, we decided to explore all there is to know about skyscrapers, including building one of our own! This activity turns out to be more than just a creative building exercise. It involves teamwork, problem-solving, and some math […]
This week we were pumped to have Dave Meek & Jake Johnson from Crescent Creek Models to tell us all about the new Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn O Scale kit.
**This listing is for a custom order** I reference photographs of your chosen building to create a framed paper artwork, completely unique and designed for you! A truly one-off work of art and the perfect gift idea. Since each artwork is made to order, I can include those details that mean the most to you or your loved one. The photos you see here are of a previous commissioned house. When ordering this item, please follow up with a message containing photographs of your chosen building, house or home. I use high quality textured paper sourced from local independent stores. The finished artwork comes built into a beautiful solid wooden box-frame with glass front. For more information on this, and my process as a whole, please visit www.paperemi.com where you can also find more examples of previous custom orders. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions!
This Winter I took on building the Cameron Street Apartments structure by KC'S Workshop Craftsman Kits. This is an all basswood construction design, with some unpainted resin and cast metal detail parts and a wonderful kit, honestly I have not had this much fun building a structure like this in some time.
Discover the best crafts to teach. Whatever your skill, some craft projects will be a better fit for a classroom than others. Here's how to think through your own craft skills and discover the best type of project to teach to a class.
Everything a new owner-builder should ask before pulling permits, working with code officials, and following the building code. We're owner-builders and this...
Come and take a tour of my craft room! I love my crafty space -- I sew, craft, DIY, and do all sorts of making in my happy space.
Use these storage shed plans for building shed homes that make living tiny easy and affordable.
turn them into decor, or a DIY toy
