Pipe Talker

Play Experience

The kids can talk to each other through connected pipes.  The PVC pipes join up underground. 

Material

1. PVC piping lengths (you can use any gauge)
2. 90 deg PVC elbow joints (x 4)
3. PVC joining glue
4. A small section of hard metal fly mesh from a screen-door

Procedure

1. Dig a trench from one point to another in the backyard.
2. Run a length of PVC piping, joining sections with PVC joining glue.
3. Glue a 90 deg elbow joint at each end.
4. Glue in a rising length each end.  (I also cemented in a wooden pole next to each of these risers to strengthen them.)
5. On top of these pipes glue on more 90 deg elbow joints, one each end. (Read the next step first.)
6. I found out the hard way that the mouth-piece holes require screens over the end to stop creatures living inside.  I cut out some over sized sections of hard metal fly mesh from a screen-door and pushed into the mouth-piece.  You may like to do this before attaching the elbow joints in case the the section of mesh accidentally falls inside.  That's also why I cut over sized pieces, to prevent them from falling inside and to hold them in place once pushed and bent into place inside the mouth piece.

Play Time

 

More Project Ideas

The pipe talker was incorporated into the Boat project.