Some of the best things in life are the simplest. Case in point: Howtoons‘ Rola Bola project from MAKE Volume 08. The Rola Bola is essentially just 3 pieces of wood, some screws, and a PVC pipe that translate to hours of low-tech fun. Any kid (big or small) you make this balance board for is guaranteed to be stoked. And whether you’re into board sports or not, the Rola Bola essentially just helps you hone in your center of balance, a skill anyone could use.
This page pretty much gives the gist of it:
And here it is in our Digital Edition just for you.
Bonus Info: If you are a board junkie like me, stay tuned for Volume 19, which is slotted for DIY Surfboard and DIY Splitboard projects! Awww yeah!
8 thoughts on “Flashback: Howtoons Rola Bola”
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These… Are just kinda dumb.
There, I said it.
Seriously, though… Kids know when they are being patronized almost as well as adults.
When I was younger, my parents had me watch 3-2-1 Contact, different science shows targeted to the younger set, comics of this ilk to spark interest in Physics, etc. And they weren’t bad. But, all of them whipped up in a blender with whipped cream on top could come close to 10 minutes leafing through my Grandpa’s old stack of Popular Mechanics.
“Any kid (big or small) you make this balance board for is guaranteed to be stoked. ”
Stoked? You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Try one of these boards (no idea what they’re called) if you never have. You can do cool tricks on them and it is not as easy and dumb as it looks…
If you use them inside, a piece of old carpet instead of the screws might be better.
Try it before you knock it is all I have to say. I have one that I use regularly (for rehabbing a torn ACL) and I’ve made several as presents that have been really well received. And yes, being stoked means “being in an enthusiastic or exhilarated state.”