I am looking for ideas that could be used as a project for kids to work on during the Pre-Spring Arrow Fling in Alabama.
Compton Traditional Bowhunters co-sponsors the event along with Allsouth Archery Association.
Last year we had an arrow building activity during which participants built their own custom designed arrow. They really seemed to enjoy it, and we could do the same thing again, but I am also looking for other ideas or suggestions.
We would like an activity that might take an hour or two of time to complete. Age range would likely be 5 - 12 years old. We will also do a balloon shoot following the workshop portion.
Also, if anyone is planning on attending the event and would like to volunteer to help with the kids activities please let me know. We would be happy to have you!
Joe, If you had a budget or the resources, perhaps you could build arm guards or quivers?
Perhaps there's a place where you could buy quiver kits?????? that should allow the process of building to be much faster.
Its just a thought anyhow. good luck. :thumbsup:
We do have a budget to buy supplies, so those are good suggestions Charlie.
Keep em coming!
There was a vendor next to Steadman at Compton last year that was selling small foam targets. Possibly purchase from him, and let the kids paint their own target.
Make your own Traditional wool string silencers - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrAN8gFuHkU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrAN8gFuHkU) -
Whip this is an idea I had a while back that would be great for kids with virtually no expense. I even thought the kids could sell them for 50 cents a pair and donate proceeds to the Boy Scouts. Works great with acrylic yarn.
build PVC bows?
I would say get some fish netting (from military surplus store) and some rolls of jute string and have the kids make a ghillie suit (poncho)and have them use natural materials(grasses and such) and they can tie them on in their own patterns. Or you can get some material from a store(Walmart has some) and cut strips of 3 different colors to tie on.
Put a piece of netting and some twine in a brown sandwich bag for each kid.
One of the kid activities the United Bowhunters of Missouri does quite often is help the children make PVC pipe bows. We have the bow blanks pre-cut and drilled. The kids use markers to color them how they want and then we help them put on the handle and string it. The cost is around $2 a bow; maybe less. The bow will pull 10-15 lbs.
Here is a link to the bow plans: PVC Pipe Bow Plans (http://www.unitedbowhunters.com/DOCS/PVCPipeBowPlans.pdf)
Kids that age love to be creative and goofy...emphasis on the goofy. What they have fun with doesn't need to be functional or to our liking ;-)
I would either do the PVC bows or arrows (again) and have a "best dressed" contest...
They dress up their item of choice (or your choice) by finding items via a scavenger hunt. The stuff they find is either glued or tied to the arrow or bow...leaves, grass, pine cones, feathers, nuts, rocks, gum wrappers, paper, etc.
Sound crazy??? How do you think the first snake skin got glued to a bow? No adult would think of that :-)
After the artwork is done, judge the items by different categories...e.g. most natural material, most cleaver item used, most unusual item used etc. but don't judge on beauty...that is in the eye-of-the-beholder and the young artist.
Maybe use some of your money to hand out some small prizes...or maybe the vendors will have small trinkets to give...
I would think the goal is trying to give them something fun to do - for a given period of time. The item created isn't likely that important part of the effort nor is the prize.
my 2 cents....
How about drawing/making Targets, then shooting them up???
TTT
My kids and I made some back quiver that were pretty cool. We took some thin cardboard that would roll into a round shape easily, and cut it into a trapezoid shape. We checked it to make sure the shape would be correct , and cut a piece of cloth to the same size, then lined it with duct tape. Some grommets served as places to put a rope for the shoulder sling. They had a blast and take them to local 3D shoots. I'll post some pictures shortly.
Those are all great ideas,kids are curious and creative,I'm sure any of these would be a hit,I really like the pvc bows so they have something they can take home and use.
The UBM is getting ready to make 400 of those PVC bows to give away to kids at the Missouri Deer Classic in March. We're gonna have a shooting booth too so they can try them out.
Darren
Here's a shot of the duct tape quivers my kids made. It was a pretty easy project, and took maybe an hour or so.
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Brian, those quivers are cool! If you don't mind, I might use that idea for our next kid's project this summer.
Darren
I'll see if I can get the kids to do a little build along. They get some looks at the 3D shoots!
Duct tape quivers is a great idea! The kids around here are all making duct tape wallets and stuff all the time.
TTT
Cool quivers!! WalMart sells tons of different duct tape. I even saw some angry bird tape the other day.
Joe we had the scouts make small bags, had a local shoe factory donate leather scraps and bought some cordage, They cut the leather in circles and the with a leather punch, punched in a odd number of holes and then threaded the cordage through holes and tied the ends together. Made a nice pouch to carry collectables. Any material could be used.
TTT
Found this elsewhere, you may want to precut the popsicle sticks and soak them first but they could really get into putting their own custom designs on:
http://thebroodinghen.blogspot.com/2010/06/tiny-bow-arrow.html
(Hope that link is allowed)