Run down the shot-clock looking for a costume? Beat the buzzer with this creative idea.
Materials
- sheet of foam core
- orange duct tape
- basketball rim and net with plastic suction cups
- wide elastic
- stapler
- poster board
- adhesive-backed Velcro
- lightweight ball
- string
- tacky glue
- basketball uniform, socks, and shoes
- parchment paper (optional)
Instructions
1. Basketball goal: From a sheet of foam core, use a craft knife to cut a backboard to fit your child (an adult's job). Ours is 19 1/2 inches wide and 13 inches tall.
Wrap the edges of the backboard with orange duct tape. Center a rim and net with plastic suction cups just above the bottom edge of the backboard and mark where its arms touch the board.
Use a craft knife to bore a hole through the foam core at each mark (an adult's job). Remove the suction cups from the rim, insert the arms into the holes, then reattach the cups on the back of the board and duct-tape them to the backboard.
Cut narrow strips of duct tape for a shooter's square and stick them in place.
Tip: For easier cutting, attach the duct tape to parchment paper before cutting it in half lengthwise. Peel the strips from the paper to use them.
2. Straps: Have your child hold the backboard in front of him, then cut two lengths of wide elastic that can each reach from the top of the backboard, across your child's back, and to the bottom of the opposite side of the board, as shown.
For strength, staple a rectangular scrap of poster board to both ends of each strap, then tape one end of each to the top of the backboard, as shown.
Horizontally attach two strips of adhesive-backed Velcro at the bottom of the backboard and the matching strips to the poster board on the free end of each strap.
3. Ball: Use a pencil to bore a hole about 1 inch deep into a lightweight ball (we used the foam ball that came with our rim and hoop).
Coat the tip of a length of string with tacky glue and insert it into the hole. Let it dry, then duct-tape the opposite end of the string to the back of the board.
Crafts
