Learn how to make a cheap homemade fishing pole for kids using a simple stick and empty thread spool.
Make a Cheap Homemade Fishing Pole
Need the cheapest fishing pole possible, a homemade fishing pole for kids to catch panfish? Attach an empty spool of thread to the thick end of a stick with a one-inch nail. On the thin end of the stick, screw in an eye screw. Put a line on the spool and rein it through the eye. And if the fishing hole is not giving any fish lately, toss in old Christmas trees in one heap, and make sure they’re entirely covered by water. There’ll be fish living there in less than six months.

Make a Birch Bark Photo Frame
Need a photo frame? Cut the top layer of bark from a birch tree. You won’t hurt the tree. Put weight, such as a huge book, on the bark while it dries. To attach the photo to the bark, use any kind of sticky putty that doesn’t dry. A halved pinecone can adorn one corner. Every home with children can have a free activity box. Shells from a lake or the sea, rocks of all colors, twigs, wood scraps, tiles, yarns, any twines, papers, any leftover building materials all go in the box. When the cry “I’m bored” is heard, it’s time to get the box and suggest a “make one” project. Nature and leftovers can provide the materials.
D.A. Guiliani
Niagara, Wisconsin
Originally published as “Do-It-Yourself Fun for the Kids” June/July 2000 MOTHER EARTH NEWS.