diy digital detox.

My son is three and obsessed with television. Thankfully a lot of other kids at his age are, too ... but that doesn't make me feel better about my couch potato in training. Tonight I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and try to make something to vie for his attention that would also encourage more creative play.

We made a play t.v.! I am not inclined to craft or be overly creative and this was an incredibly easy project. It also was very cheap - unfortunately we didn't have any of the materials at home already, but it was $15 at Michael's and will last longer than a cardboard box (I already dropped it in the floor and not a scratch!).

Here's what you'll need:

• Wooden photo frame with NO glass 
• Wood glue 
• Paint: one color for your t.v. and an additional color(s) for the button(s)
• Paper plates to put the paint on 
• Silver pipe cleaners
• Paint brushes or sponges 
• 2 wooden blocks (to stabilize the back of the photo frame) 
• At least one round, wooden circle (get more if you want more buttons)
• Newspaper to put on the surface that you'll be working on 

Next, here's how we made our play t.v.:

1. Remove the cardboard from the photo frame and throw it away, unless you have another project for it. One crafty project a year is about my max. If there are the little metal clasps to hold the cardboard backing, make sure that these are pressed safely down in place so they don't hurt your kiddo. 
2. Break out the paint! Nathan did a really great job painting the picture frame. We started with the front and the sides.
   
3. While the front dries, paint your button(s). We only did one button and Nate wanted to do red (of course!)
   
4. Once the paint on the front of the frame is dry, flip it over to the back. 
5. Use the wood glue to attach the 2 wooden blocks to the bottom of the frame. Make sure that the hangar attached to the top of the frame is actually on the top (we'll get to this later). 
6. Paint the back of the frame, including the blocks.  Don't worry, the paint will even out - the photo below is still while this was drying.
   
   
7. Take a break. Let the front and back dry - we took about a 20 minute break. 
8.  Lay the photo frame on its back so that you can attach the button(s) to the front 
9. Need any touch-ups? Paint any spots that you may have missed before, but be careful of the buttons! 
10. Time for the pièce de résistance, the pipe cleaners! Rabbit ears pre-date my son by a good two decades, but it makes this project very recognizable :)
11. All done! Stand back to admire your work!
    

Once we were done, I think Nate was a bit confused about what we were doing and what this new t.v. was supposed to do. I did a pretend news broadcast for him that resulted in lots of giggles and applause! Next Nate tried it out and 'cheese' is more than an understatement for his network debut. He then took on a very thoughtful approach to his storyline.

 And given that this is a successful project and Nathan wanted to 'interview' me for his show, I tried out my new camera remote. Nate pretended to be a crocodile and told me that I was Captain Hook - despite the potential for a very intimidating interview, we had a lot of fun :)