We were thinking of how to handle a Christmas gift for our youngest at the time who was just recently mobile and developing her skills at opening cupboards and starting to investigate and dismantle things. These busy boards are popular online and there are few people who make them for sale. If you tend to have lots of odds and ends lying around as we did from our house build, then this is an easy one to put together without having to spend much or anything. The board was some left over 1inch thick “lamwood” or pine board which can be ordered from most builders providers. Cut it to a suitable size and round the edges with a router or sander to make it more appealing to the hand and eye. Then spend some time gathering things that you know will attract inquisitive eyes and hands. On this one, the hinged doors proved a hit although the picture that was hidden behind one was soon removed. The pipes for rolling things down were another hit and the kettle whistle is still in great use today although it has had many different uses since it started out attached to this. Ideally one could update the board regularly to keep it interesting. One thing we like about this is that its somewhat appealing to the eye and not a plaything that you tend to want to hide when the kids aren’t using it, unlike the gaudy plastic things that inevitably find their way into your home even if you don’t buy them yourself.

If you need to source some suitable sheet timber – these people are very good and will deliver to you.

www.strahan.ie