LETS SPY: Homemade Binoculars for Little Investigators

Do you feel bad about using so many rolls of paper towels and toilet paper at home on a regular basis but can't do without them? Well, at least you can try to reuse some parts of it, that may feel a bit better. Of course I only mean the clean rolls/tubes that are left over at the end.

This is a homemade beauty which will keep your energy bombs busy for quite a while, perhaps on and off though. It is homemade, cheap, and fun. If there is an elder brother/sister who can help the younger one, it is even better. If not, your child would appreciate your help and the time spent together making something fun. I am sure it will be one of the fond memories of childhood for them: Making things together with mum or dad.

The materials you will need for this activity can vary a bit depending on how crafty you would like to be or how much time you have got in your hands. The basic materials that you will need would be as below:

• One paper towel roll (cut in half to make it shorter and make it the required amount) or two clean toilet paper rolls/tubes
•  Some thick string, one shoe lace, or some ribbon (again, the length can vary depending on what you prefer and your child's size), 
• A hole puncher or a pair of scissors to make some holes on the rolls where the string will be tied. 

You may also need these if you prefer something that is not only practical bus also looks good too:

• If you prefer, you can also wrap the tubes to make them look nicer than the usual raw look in which case you will need a gift wrap or paper to wrap them with and glue to stick them on.
• Or you could let your child's imagination take in control and let them paint or draw on the rolls according to his/her taste. If this is the case, you would need a pen/some paint etc.

The idea is that the rolls become the binoculars and the string goes around the neck to hold it there. You may also need to somehow separate the two rolls rather than sticking them side by side again depending on the size of your little precious one. The pictures above are not the first or the best looking ones that we have made at home. This particular one was made by Mr. Hubby and Mr. Junior a few weeks ago. The gap between the rolls isn't the best as Mr. Junior can use only one eye to look through a hole as the other roll is too far on the side for him. However, because it is a 'masterpiece' of both him and his daddy, he does not complain about the imbalance of it at all! 

Have fun spying today!