|
|
|
|
 |
Cautionary Tales For Children
Wonderful witty poems great for reading to your children. The stories and rhymes will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
 |
|
|
|
 |
|


Research has shown how important YOU are to your children and how as a dad the things you do, and keep on doing, really count, whether you live with them, or you are a single dad and are only able see them once a month, once a week or more, what you do really matters. This site is dedicated to all dads but will be of special relevance to the single dad. Remember, you are half the reason your children exist and they need you whether you live with them or not. As their dad, you have what it takes to make their lives successful and fulfilling no matter how often you see them. This site is about all the positive things that we as parents have to offer our children.
|
|
|
|
Make an Alethiometer
|
166
28879
|
A Golden Compass that looks and feels just like the one in the book
On the night before Lyra and Pantalaimon leave Jordan College, The Master gives the little girl and her daemon a strange and mystical looking device called an Alethiometer, and bids her keep it a secret.
. . .
The Alethiometer is a magical compass that points to the truth. Only six have ever been made. This one once belonged to Lyra’s Uncle, the great Lord Asriel, and now as Lyra’s epic journey to the Arctic Circle to find her uncle and uncover the truth about Dust begins, she wonders why she has been entrusted with it’s care.
. . .
The Golden Compass film is currently in post production and will be ready for us to see in December later this year. Can you wait? Have you read the book (called “Northern Lights” in the UK) and can't wait to see the film? Well one way to pass the months ahead is to start making your collection of His Dark Materials Models. Top of the list must be an Alethiometer,
so I know that you will want to make and own a beautiful authentic looking Alethiometer of your own. So here it is, one of the coolest projects on dadcando, an Alethiometer, just like the one on the cover of the book.
. . .
It’s not a quick project, but if have a spare weekend and you would like a really lovely version of the Alethiometer, then follow these instructions carefully, and what you make should look just like the one pictured here, that we made.
. . .
We used an old model makers’ trick to get the gorgeous curves without using a lathe, using a profile for shaping filler, and the domed glass is nothing more than a small piece cut from the shoulder of a 2 litre fizzy drinks bottle.
. . .
The best filler to use is a two part auto-body repair filler (car filling resin). It is very cheap and when mixed up properly, sets rock hard in a few minutes allowing you to build up layer after layer in an hour or so. However you can use quick drying decorators’ filler. You'll find all the templates, graphics and guides you need are right here, including an amazing downloadable printable of the icon ring and the engraved dial back-plate. All the images are as accurate as I could make them from the reference in existence. There is even a cut-out printable for the hands. So what are you waiting for? You can see that Dominic and Danielle
have already made their versions of the Alethiometer (that’s what inspired us to get making one).
The templates and instructions are available in both A4 and US Letter format and on separate downloads (because you might well need to print out the templates more times than the instructions. So remember that you will need at least one copy of each. Just click on the image that you want to download it. Remember to select the image for the correct paper size and make sure that your printer isn’t trying to resize the image for you. The Instruction file is quite large, so be patient while it downloads, but then you will appreciate the quality when you’re done.
Alethiometer instructions

Alethiometer templates and graphic printables

|
|
OR |
|
166
28879
|
 |
Posted by Yay101202303 - I'm a bit younger than then recommended age, but i was able to make this and be pleased with it. Sorry the picture is blurry.
|
 |
Posted by Demodemo - Our Alethiometer is made from MDF cut on a CNC router, and the "glass" is a piece of acrylic which I put in an oven and placed over a ring and pressed gently with a cloth to make the bulge.
|
|
|
|
|
 |

Lovely little MicroBooks
 |
|

Sitting in the car on those long journeys back wards and forwards from mum’s to dad’s, going on that special weekend or second holiday with their dad, often kids of separated parents do a lot of traveling and have a lot to keep in their heads. So what better than a little pocket sized notebook to write and sketch down all those important thoughts. These fun little origami MicroBooks are a really simple project that anyone can tackle. They’re easy to fold up and really nice to fill in and keep. They’re perfect for kids because they don’t have loads and loads of pages that will never get written in, and they're small enough to fit in a pocket or a small bag. They've got to be the simplest form of origami on the web.
My kids showed me how to make a micro-book in about five minutes, it's so quick and easy.

The instructions and the lovely graphic printables are free to download.
So even if you only have a few minutes to spare, this is a perfect project to do.
There’s a couple of holiday diaries, perfect for keeping happy memories of a lovely time with dad. There are books for doodling, and writing, and even ones packed with interesting facts, enough to keep anyone busy.
There’s a special new MicroBook full of all the best wizard’s spells, charms, hexes and curses, just perfect for all those budding wizard Harry Potter fans. Click here to be magically transported to the spells MicroBook page.
|
|
 |
|
|
|


|
|

|