This activity is by Donna Erickson, a family lifestyle columnist with King Features Syndicate and host of Donna's Day on public television. For more ideas, visit www.donnasday.com.
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Activity Photo credits: Donna Erickson and Paul Nelson.
Grow With a Portable Height Chart
Have you ever marked your height on your bedroom or closet door with a pencil? But then you moved, or maybe your parents repainted your room and your growth chart was gone forever.
A portable height chart is the only way to go…And grow! So, get this project going ASAP. Remember, you are growing all the time. You don’t want to miss an inch!
Here’s the stuff you’ll need:
• Plain white butcher or shelving paper, posterboard or foam core that is 3 feet long
• Measuring tape
• Pencil, pen and paint or markers
Here’s the fun:
1. Spread the paper, posterboard or foam core out on the floor and mark the bottom-right edge with a line and label it “24 inches.” Use the measuring tape to mark off 1-inch measurements going up that right side, ending with 60 inches. Mark the bottom-left edge with a line and label it 2 feet. Measure and add marks at 3, 4, and 5 feet accordingly.
2. Hang the measuring chart on a wall or on your closet door two feet up from the floor. Ask an adult to measure your height and note it on the chart along with the date. Get on a scale and weigh yourself, then note that weight next to the height. For extra fun, use an ink pad or poster paint and make a thumbprint on the chart by the notations.
3. Every six months, mark your height, weight, date and thumbprint on the chart. Eventually you can look back and see how you have changed. Since kids grow at different rates, you might be surprised to discover that you might grow much more at some times than at others.
Tips:
• Glue a measuring tape to the side of the chart instead of drawing in the marks yourself. It’s quick and easy and gives you time to concentrate on jazzing up the drawings.
• Think of a milestone in your life and draw something to remind you of a goal or accomplishment when you were at a certain height. For example, at 3 ft., 8 in., you might write: “I finally rode a two-wheeler!” Draw in your bike. Or at 4 ft., “I was tall enough to ride the roller coaster at the boardwalk!” Draw in “The Wild Tornado.”
• Eat well, get plenty of exercise, get lots of sleep, and keep on growing!
CRAFT TALK:
While you are getting measured, ask your mom or dad for their height, too. Look for photos of them when they were your age. Where they short, medium or tall?
