WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 11’ three-strand rope, 1/2” to 3/4” in diameter
• 6 6’ lengths of strong twine
• 2 pieces of 12”-square plywood
• 2 1” dowels, 8” in length
• Drill
• Sandpaper
• Pocketknife

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Make the Rings

1. Cut the rope in half.

2. Untwist the rope until you have six strands of very curly material 51/2’ in length.

3. Form a 6”-diameter loop in the center of one of your strands and tie an overhand knot.

4. Continue wrapping each end of the strand around this loop. The wraps you make should mesh perfectly with the twists already in the strand. It’s helpful if you use a twisting action on the strand as you wrap it around the ring.

5. Continue to wrap and twist until the entire ring is three strands thick.

6. Cut the strand ends at an angle and push them into the groove in the ring.

7. Use any type of strong twine to make a whipping knot as shown. Wrap the twine as tightly as you can, and pull the loop about halfway under the wraps. Trim any extra twine flush with the edge of the knot. You can apply some wood glue to the knot to make it extra strong.

Make the Targets

8. For the peg holder, drill a hole in the center of each baseboard. The hole should hold the peg securely but not so tight that it can’t be removed for flat storage. Sand the top of the peg round, and sand the baseboard to remove any splinters.

Playing the Game

The typical distance between targets is from 8 to 15 feet, but you can choose any distance. In the simplest version of this game, each player throws three rings from the same distance and a point is scored for each ringer.

Build this goofy-looking puppet, then put on a show using ventriloquism (making it talk without moving your mouth).

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Wire cutters
• Wood rasp
• Screwdriver
• Wood screws
• Sandpaper
• Coping saw or jigsaw
• Drill
• Drill bits
• Small paintbrushes
• Utility knife
• Wood clamps
• Four small eyehooks
• L bracket
• Monofilament fishing line
• Wood glue
• 3/4“ x 10” dowel
• 2” wood ball
• Two toy wooden wheels (optional)
• (Head) Two clear pine boards 1/2” x 4“ x 2”
• (Box) Two boards 3/4” x 4” x 11”
• Two boards 3/4” x 4” x 61/2”
• Two small springs
• Wire coat hanger
• 1” square plastic washer, cut from a milk jug

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Cut out the head and jaw using the profile patterns (click here to download patterns).

2. Stack, clamp and glue the shapes together.

3. Rough out the shape of the head and jaw with a wood rasp and sandpaper. While shaping, make sure the head and jaw fit together and work smoothly. Drill a small hole through the jaw and head. Hinge together with coat hanger.

When satisfied with how your puppet looks and how the mouth operates, remove the coat hanger; rasp and sand the surfaces of the head and jaw separately until smooth.

4. Mount the small eyehooks as shown in the head and jaw diagram. Attach a small spring to the eyehooks. Tie the fishing line to the jaw eyehook. Put the head and jaw together, and hinge in place with the hanger wire. Glue two wooden plugs to cap each end of the axle. Sand the ends of the plugs smooth.

The Control Rod

5. Cut the wood ball in half, then drill a 3/4” hole through its center. Sand. Slip the round end of the half ball 3” down the dowel. Drill a pilot hole, and glue and screw the half ball to the control rod.

6. Drill a pilot hole, and screw in the eyehook at the bottom of the control rod.

7. Attach the L bracket and plastic washer to the control rod.

8. Drill a hole at the base of the head. Glue the control rod into the hole. Screw in place. Drill 1/8“ holes through the rod (as shown) to string the trigger control. Sand holes smooth.

9. Thread fishing line through the holes and attach to the L bracket. L bracket should easily open and close mouth.

The Box Frame Torso

10. The box is open in the back so you can reach the control rod through a slit in the costume. Screw and glue the box together.

11. Drill a 1 1/2” hole in the center of the top of the box. Use rasp to angle the hole so the ball nestles and turns easily.

12. Mount the last eyehook in the bottom of the box. Insert the control rod through the hole and attach spring to eyehooks.

Decorate your puppet with paint, hair and a costume. Hands and legs can be left off or suggested with stuffed stockings.

Over the past 25 years, Ronn Lucas has entertained four U.S. presidents, Queen Elizabeth and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He has had three TV series and numerous TV specials, performed on Broadway and starred in his own Las Vegas show for nearly a decade.

The constant in all his acts: Boys’ Life magazine.

“My earliest shows were for my fellow Scouts,” Lucas says. “I often used jokes found in Boys’ Life. To this day, I’m pretty sure there is at least one joke floating around my act that was borrowed from Pedro.”

The son of a U.S. Army employee, Lucas’ family was constantly on the move, city to city and state to state.

The constant in his life: Scouting.

“Scouting kept me grounded. I started as an 8-year-old Cub Scout and finished as a 17-year-old Life Scout.”

Lucas never really finished, though. He continues to participate in Scouting and even performed his act at Philmont Scout Ranch last summer.

Lucas started with Boys’ Life. Now, you can, too, as this awesome ventriloquist shares the secrets of his art.

WHAT IS VENTRILOQUISM?

Ventriloquism (say ven-TRIL-o-kwism) is the art of talking with the tongue and not moving the mouth or face. When a skilled ventriloquist does this sitting beside a figure (or “dummy”) that has a moving mouth, it looks like the figure is talking. It works because humans use their eyes to find sound sources. When the ventriloquist is not moving his mouth but the puppet’s mouth is moving, people think they “see” the figure talking.

LEARN THE EASY ALPHABET

Sit in front of a mirror and make a slight smile with your lips parted. Make your teeth lightly touch. Your tongue should have room to move. If you see your tongue moving in the mirror, then change your smile until the tongue is hidden. Your goal is to breathe easily and read aloud these 19 letters without moving your lips:

A, C, D, E, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, X, Z.

Practice the following sentences until they sound clear but your lips don’t move: “Hey, this rocks, dude! It is sooooo easy. Anything you can say, I can say, too!” If you sound muffled, try making your voice come from some higher place in your head as well as your mouth.

MOVE ON THE THE TRICKY LETTERS

There are seven trickier letters: B, F, M, P, V, W and Y.

These letters normally require you to move your lips. To say them without moving his face, the ventriloquist borrows from the easy alphabet, some other letters or combined sounds to “fake” the tricky letters. Use these substitutions:

B = D, F = “eth,” M = N, P = T, V = “thee,” W and Y = O+I

B = D

Instead of saying “The Bad Boy Buys a Basket” the ventriloquist says, “The Dad Doy Duys a Dasket.” Try this in the mirror. At first, this substitution won’t sound right; but with practice, D can be made to sound like B. [Hint: When your tongue rises to the top inside of your mouth to make D, let it stick to the roof of your mouth a little longer before releasing. Also, say D but think B.]

F = ETH

Instead of saying “Phil is a Frisky, Funny Fellow,” try saying, “Thil is a Thrisky, Thunny Thellow.” Say the “eth” sound but think F as you do it.

M = N

“Mary Mashes Many Mangos” becomes “Nary Nashes Nany Nangos.” Make the N vibrate against the roof of your mouth. Keep thinking M.

P = T

“Peter is a Practice Pilot” becomes “Teter is a Tractice Tilot.” Try holding the T a little longer, then release with a little puff of air behind it.

V = THEE

“Vinnie Very much Values Victory” becomes “Thinny Thery nuch Thalues Thictory.”

W AND Y = O+I

W and Y are treated alike. By quickly sliding the letters O and I together you can say “O-Aye” and it sounds like Why. Try putting a fast O to the front of the following: “Why Would Wally Walk?” You’ll be saying “O-Aye O-ould O-olly O-alk?” Now drop the O (or say it silently in your head), and you’ll be saying a clean W sound without using your lips.

In a short time, these substitutions become automatic. Practice for 15 to 20 minutes a day and in about a week you’ll see some serious results! Practice your ventriloquism with a relaxed puppet-like voice that is higher or lower than your own.

Editor’s Note: This holster is designed for a belt 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ wide.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• A soft scrap of leather about 8” long, 5” wide and 1/16” to 1/8” thick
• Hobby knife
• Metal ruler
• Pen
• 3/16” hole punch or awl
• Two large snap rivets
• Hammer

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Step 1: Place the best-looking side of the leather down and draw the holster and belt loop. For the length of the holster, measure around your flashlight and add 1 1/4”.

Step 2: Mark the holes on the belt loop and holster.

Step 3: Find the center of the holster length and mark off 1/4” segments as shown.

Step 4: Cut out the belt loop and holster.

Step 5: Punch out all six holes.

Step 6: Roll the holster, align the holes and push the rivet through from the inside.

Step 7: Slide the bottom end of the belt loop over the rivet and cap.

Step 8: Align bottom loop holes, push the rivet through from inside, and cap and hammer securely.

• Complete pinewood derby guide
• 100 cool Pinewood Derby car photos of 2010
• Click here to see 900 more pinewood derby photos
• Click here to submit a picture of your car
• Read about secrets to make your car go faster
• Watch video of a super-fast pinewood derby track
• Play BL‘s new pinewood derby game

When the race is over, enter the winner’s circle by building this display for your pinewood derby or model car.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Tape measure
• Ruler
• Saw
• Lumpy rock
• Screwdriver
• Wood screws
• Hammer
• Narrow chisel
• Scissors
• Utility Knife (Optional)
• Wood glue
• 3/4″ x 10″ x 10 1/2″ board
• 3/4″ x 3 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ board
• 12″ x 12″ cork board
• 1/2″ x 2″ x 9″ wood strip (optional)
• 1/2″ x 1″ x 9″ wood strip (optional)
• Some black paint and white paint
• Paint brush

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. With the help of an adult, cut out the two boards and whack the small board with a rock. This will make the board rough like asphalt.

2. Chisel out four shallow depressions for the car’s wheels to sit in.

3. Glue and screw the two boards together using the three screws. Paint the whole thing black, or any color you like.

4. Use scissors to carefully cut the cork board into 1 1/2″ squares. Or, with an adult’s help, you can cut the cork with a utility knife.

5. Paint half the corkboard squares black and the other half white.

6. Glue the cork squares to the back of the display.

7. You can place or pin whatever you want on the completed stand. Display it on a flat surface or hang it on the wall.

HOW TO MAKE WALL MOUNTING BRACKETS FOR YOUR DISPLAY

You can use this trick to securely mount almost any heavy, flat object to a wall.

Cut the 1/2″ x 2″ x 9″ wood strip lengthwise at a 45-degree angle. Mount one piece about 1″ below the top of the back of the display and the other to the wall as shown. Attach the 1/2″ x 1″ x 9″ wood strip about 1″ from the bottom of the back of the display. The display will then slide firmly onto the wall.

More pinewood derby fun:

• Complete pinewood derby guide
• 100 cool Pinewood Derby car photos of 2010
• Click here to see 900 more pinewood derby photos
• Click here to submit a picture of your car
• Read about secrets to make your car go faster
• Watch video of a super-fast pinewood derby track
• Play BL‘s new pinewood derby game

Make a photo display
July 1989

With a little woodworking skill, you can display your photos in a collage that can be hung on a wall for everyone to enjoy.

How to make a folding camp lantern
March 1951

Here’s a new item you might add to your list of lightweight equipment — a compact folding lantern.

How to make a periscope
January 1972

Did you ever wish you were a foot taller so you could look over a wall or fence, or be able to see more at a parade? With this easy-to-make periscope, you can.

Temporary Snow Shoes
January 1960

You can follow the example of the Indians and trappers of the far north, when they are caught short in a heavy snow storm. They make emergency shoes.

Dream On
September 1997

Troubled by nightmares? Hang a Native-American dreamcatcher by your bed and you’ll be sleeping soundly.

Primitive technology expert Dan Coates suggests starting with the turkey call (or yelper). That way, if you mess up, you can use those bones for the beads and try again with the other set of wing bones.

TURKEY BONE CALL (OR YELPER)

Take this bird caller out in the field to lure wild turkeys. Use it to imitate different turkey calls or yelps, which you can hear by clicking here.

What You’ll Need

• Turkey bones
• Hacksaw or coping saw
• Stiff wire or wooden skewers
• Dish detergent
• Saucepan
• 3% hydrogen peroxide
• Knife
• Leather lace
• Sandpaper
• Glue
• Pencil or fine-tip market

What You’ll Do

1. Take the three largest wing bones as shown to the right.

2. Add one teaspoon of dish detergent and the bones into a saucepan of water. Boil for about an hour, rinse and let cool.

3. While the bones are still wet, saw the ends off the wing bones.

4. Use the wire or skewers to clean out as much marrow as possible. Scrape the outside of the bones with a knife. Boil again as in Step 2. You can brighten the bones by soaking them overnight in 3% hydrogen peroxide. (DO NOT use bleach, which will weaken the bones.) Rinse the bones, and let them dry completely.

5. Sand and shape the bones so they fit snugly inside each other.

6. Glue the yelper together.

7. Use the leather lace to make a lanyard for carrying the yelper around your neck. You can tie the lanyard to the yelper using a whipping knot.

How to Use the Yelper

Hold the turkey caller down like a recorder. Suck on the small end, making a short, smooching sound. The sound you’ll hear is a “yelp,” not “gobble-gobble-gobble.”

TURKEY BONE NECKLACE

What You’ll Do

Choose two vertebrae from the back bones and the three largest wing bones. Follow steps 2 through 4 above. The only difference is you’ll be cutting several necklace beads as shown.

Sand the two vertebrae flat, glue them together and set aside to dry. Clean and sand all the necklace pieces, and slide them onto a length of string or leather lace. To keep smaller-diameter beads from sliding into larger ones, tie an overhand knot between beads.

Using your knife, carefully scratch your initials or a pattern into the bone beads. Color with pencil or marker and rub off excess, leaving a tint inside the scraping, which will make it look like scrimshaw. Seal with a thin layer of white glue.

Get a parent or guardian’s permission and help before starting.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED (makes one pair)

• 1 six-ounce can of CPVC clear cement
• 2 pieces of ¾-inch hot/cold CPVC pipe, each 10 feet long (Although they look alike, CPVC piping will work better than PVC because CPVC tends to be a bit more flexible and less likely to crush. Schedule 80 is recommended.)
• 4 ¾-inch CPVC pipe tees (they’re shaped like the letter “T”)
• 20 45-degree-angle CPVC elbows (they’re shaped like elbows)
• 200 feet of ¼-inch hollow braid poly rope
• Bungee cords, rope, Velcro or other materials to hold snowshoe to foot.

TOOLS

• Yard stick or measuring tape
• Hand saw, hack saw or PVC pipe-cutting tool
• File or sand paper
• Clamp vise or an extra set of hands
• Flat work surface

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Cut 10-foot-long pipes to the following lengths. (You should end up with 26 cut pieces of pipe.)

2. Using a file or sand paper, deburr — or smooth — the cut edges.

3. On a flat work surface, start building the front section of the shoes following these steps. The shoe is built in two halves; start with the front half and glue the pieces in place as you go.

Front Half:

1. Put one 45-degree-angle piece of piping on each end of one 4-inch piece of pipe.

2. Put a 3-inch pipe into the open end of both angles.

3. Put another 45-degree angle on the open end of each 3-inch piece.

4. Put a 1 1/4 inch pipe into both angles.

5. Put 45-degree angle pieces onto the 1 1/4 inch pipes. Angle should face up slightly.

6. Put one 6-inch piece into each of the angles.

7. Put one T-angle joint onto the end of each 6-inch piece, then connect with 8-inch pipe.

8. Set this half aside so the glue can harden.

Remember to continue gluing the connections as you go!

Back Half:

1. Put 45-degree angles on one end of each 18-inch pipe.

2. Put a 3-inch piece into each angle.

3. Put 45-degree angles onto both 3-inch pieces.

4. Connect the 45-degree angle pieces with a 1 1/2 piece of pipe.

5. Connect the back and front halves of the snowshoe together and let dry for 24 hours.

Lacing the Shoe

Use an eye splice to start and end all lacings. Weave the rope back and forth around the pipe in an over-under pattern to create lacings.

Keep the lacings in place by using CPVC cement where laces meet the pipe.

Attach to foot (boot or shoe) using bungee cords, rope, Velcro or other materials. For best results, attachment method will be similar to an ankle brace bandage.

2. Thread the lace through the snap hook.

3. Wrap the lace around a door knob.

4. Leaving your index finger and thumb free, hold the lace with your left hand.

5. Use both hands to tightly twist the right side.

6. Once the right lace is tightly twisted, switch the twisted lace to the left hand and the untwisted lace to the right hand. Repeat the twisting process.

7. Now that both the left and right sides are twisted, hold them tightly together and remove the lace from the door knob. (You might need some help with this.)

8. Once removed from the door knob the lace will twist itself into a handmade rope.

Whipping Knot:
Apply tape to the end of your new rope to keep it from unraveling. Use any type of strong twine to make a whipping knot as shown. Wrap the twine as tight as you can and pull the loop about halfway under the wraps. Trim any extra twine flush with the edge of the knot. Cut off the taped end. Leave some cordage protruding beyond the knot (about the diameter of the cordage in length). You can apply some glue to the knot to make it extra strong.

What You’ll Need:

To begin, download a list of cuts you will need to make before assembling by clicking here.

Follow these woodworking tips:

Safety
Always wear safety glasses and make sure all safety guards are in place before using power tools. Ask an adult to help you with power tools.

Wood glue
Apply a thin, even coat of glue to both pieces of wood. Clamp glued pieces together.

Carpenter’s square
Always use a carpenter’s square for right angles.

Predrilling
Predrill with 1/8-inch bit. To keep from drilling all the way through wood, put masking tape on your drill bit marking screw length from the tip.
Stop drilling when the tape meets wood. Enlarge hole 1/4-inch deep with a 1/4-inch bit. Screw each screw all the way in, making sure the head goes inside the wood (countersunk). Wipe off excess glue with a wet rag.

Edge banding
Edge banding comes in a roll with heat-activated adhesive. Edge banding is applied to all exposed plywood edges and provides a neat, finished appearance. You can use a clothes iron to heat edge banding. Keep the iron clean by placing a sheet of paper between the iron and the banding.

What You’ll Do

Note: Understand all instructions before beginning. Ask an adult to help you with power tools.

Step 1.  Assemble module frames
Place frame facedown. Screw corners together and attach gussets with screws and glue. Connect frame by screwing and gluing frame connector in place.

Step 2. Build drawer and shelf modules
Screw and glue frame into drawer module. Screw and glue shelves into shelf module. Attach back and desktop cleats to both modules.

Step 3. Build drawers
Ask an adult to use a table saw to cut a groove 1/4-inch deep and 1/4-inch wide in the front and sides of both drawers for the drawer bottoms. Glue and screw the front, sides and back together on both drawers. Slide the bottom of both drawers in place. Do not glue the bottom. Insert the drawer into the desk and center the drawer front. Make sure all drawers slide smoothly and fit neatly in place. Glue and clamp the drawer face onto both drawers. Repeat this process for the secret drawer.

Step 4. Connect the two modules
Screw and glue the module connector board to both modules as shown.

Step 5. Attach legs and trim
The legs and trim are screwed in place from the inside. The trim should cover all exterior screw holes. The long front trim piece should help hold the modules in place until the top is attached.

Step 6. Assemble keyboard tray and tray rails
Screw and glue the keyboard tray together. Screw the keyboard tray rails in place from the inside.

Step 7. Attach the top
Position the desktop evenly on the modules. Screw through the cleats into the bottom of the desktop. Sand all visible surfaces with 220-grit sandpaper and apply a finish of your choice. Screw in drawer pulls.

Here are some step-by-step instructions from Alex on how to do five yo-yo tricks. Take a look, and then check out the July 2011 issue of Boys’ Life magazine to find out more.

SLEEPER

1. Hold the yo-yo in your hand, palm up, with the string wrapping over the top of the yo-yo.

2. Bend your elbow with the yo-yo near your ear, elbow pointing forward.

3. Unbend your arm and roll the yo-yo off the tips of your fingers. Snapping your wrist creates more spin.

4. Let the yo-yo reach the end of the string and pause for a few seconds, then with a tug, return the yo-yo to your hand.

ROCK THE BABY

1. Throw a sleeper. With your opposite hand, pinch the string midway down the string and raise your opposite hand.

2. Pinch the string with your throw hand a few inches above the yo-yo.

3. Bring your throw hand back above your opposite hand, spreading the fingers of your opposite hand to form a triangle with the string.

4. Swing the yo-yo back and forth inside the triangle.

BREAKAWAY

1. Hold the yo-yo the same way you would to perform a sleeper, but point your elbow to the side of your body.

2. Throw the yo-yo straight out to the side.

3. Let the yo-yo swing down in front of your body and up to the opposite shoulder.

4. Return the yo-yo to your hand.

BRAIN TWISTER

1. Throw a sleeper.

2. Place your opposite index finger against the string between you and the string.

3. Push your index finger away from you while you move your throw hand between you and your other hand.

4. Bring your throw hand under and then in front of the yo-yo, threading the string into the gap of the yo-yo.

5. Perform a somersault with the yo-yo by pushing your throw hand into the strings and pulling down with your opposite hand. Repeat three or more times.

6. Return the yo-yo to a sleeper, then back to your hand.

Trapeze

1. Throw a breakaway.

2. As the yo-yo passes in front of your body, place your opposite index finger on top of the string as close to the yo-yo as possible.

3. Allow the yo-yo to loop around your finger and land on the string underneath it.

5. Pull your extended finger out of the string and return the yo-yo to your hand.

Here’s an excerpt from the book’s Skate Longboard project. Read a preview below and click the bottom link for a PDF of the entire craft!

From pages 74 and 75 of “Handy Dad”:

Have you ever noticed how many roads there are in your neck of the woods? Everywhere you look, there are smooth, sloping asphalt waves—I mean, slopes—just waiting to be carved up. Get into a crouch or put your toes on the nose. Feel the flow as you—I mean, your kids—carve back and forth across the blacktop with the sun on their faces and the wind in their hair. Actually, let’s not kid ourselves. I have a feeling you’re going be “borrowing” this board to relive those early glory days of skateboarding yourself.

Materials:

• 4-foot 1×7 Brazilian Ipe wood (This sounds like an odd size but it’s actually a factory-cut measurement. Look for Ipe wood at your local specialty lumberyard.)
• 2 super-wide 10-inch skateboard trucks (I like Independent-brand trucks, myself.)
• One set of super-soft street wheels (Yup, they come 4 to a set.)
• Eight bearings built for speed
• 4 feet clear grip tape, 10 inches wide

Fasteners:

• 1 1/2-inch skateboard mounting hardware, for bolting the trucks to the deck
  

Tools:

• Measuring tape
• 4-foot level or straightedge
• Pencil
• Carpenter’s square
• Felt-tip pen
• Drill with 3/16-inch and 1/4 -inch bits
• Band saw or jigsaw with wood blade
• Electric sander with a few sheets of 60-grit sand paper
• Screwdriver
• Utility knife or pocketknife
• Socket wrench with 1/2-inch, 3/8-inch and 9/16-inch sockets

Click here for a PDF of the rest of the project!

• 1 4-by-7-inch foam board (A thoroughly cleaned foam meat tray works great.)
• 1 large flex drinking straw
• Average size balloon
• Scissors
• Hole punch or pencil
• Glue gun
• Pin
• Tape

What You’ll Do:
Step 1. Cut out the bottom of a foam tray. Be careful not to bend it.

Step 2. Place the flat foam under the body template and trace it by poking holes with a pin along the outline of the template. Also trace the straw slot. Trace two fins and the balloon ring using the same method. Cut out the foam shapes with the scissors. Make a center hole in the balloon ring with a hole punch or a sharp pencil point. To download a template to trace click here.

Step 3. Cut a sharp angle on one end of the straw and make a flat cut on the other as shown.

Step 4. Stretch and bend the straw, then glue the balloon ring to the flat end. Stretch the balloon over the circle. Carefully glue this assembly over the straw slot so that no glue is inside the straw and none of the straw or glue is below the bottom of the body.

Step 5. Glue the two fins to the rear sides of the body.

Step 6. Make an inflating straw by taking the leftover half of the straw and cutting two 1/2-inch slots in it. Roll the end into a taper with your fingers and tape together. Use the inflating straw to blow up the balloon from the bottom.  Pinch the neck of the balloon and release on a smooth, clean floor.

Hovercraft Tip
The hovercraft will work properly only on a smooth, clean floor. The bottom of the hovercraft should also be smooth and clean.

The first movie appeared just a few years before the first issue of Boys’ Life. Since then, there have been a lot of great ones. Here are 100 movies that every guy should see. (Some suggestions will require parental guidance.)

For decades, Boys’ Life readers have built their own GISMO robots. This month, we introduce GISMO 5. Yes, GISMO is back and has gone green!

The green GISMO is easy to build from a radio-controlled truck or car and discarded product packaging — stuff that would usually wind up in a landfill. Body segments are connected with Velcro dots or strips and rubber bands, so it’s easy to add extra sections. And, of course, replacement parts are easy to find.

You can build the basic GISMO 5 for about $25, even less if you can find parts around the house. The base of GISMO 5 is a radio-controlled car or truck chassis. Several readers who put together our last GISMO found inexpensive radio-controlled trucks at flea markets or garage sales.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Chassis from a radio-controlled truck or car.
  Choose a medium-size vehicle with thick tires and a not-too-fast motor for stability. (High-torque units accelerate so rapidly that they can cause tip-overs.) If you plan to have ‘bot battles with friends, choose vehicles on different radio frequencies so they don’t interfere with each other. You’ll find the info on the outside of the box, usually “49 MHz” or “27MHz” or channel numbers.
• A variety of boxes and cardboard tubes
• Velcro dots or strips
• Large rubber bands
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Optional accessory items (Ping-Pong balls make great eyes)

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Use scissors to cut out add-ons like fins, wings, teeth and claws. With a little folding, you can trim boxes to different sizes and shapes.

2. Use the glue gun to glue lids shut and reshaped boxes together. This will make your robot more durable.

3. Paint the boxes or leave them as is.

4. Turn the vehicle over and remove the screws that hold its body to the chassis. Carefully lift the body off and, if necessary, pull the antenna wire through the hole in the body. Save all body parts and screws. Apply Velcro dots or strips to the top of the chassis.

5. Use Velcro and rubber bands to assemble the robot. You can make your robot look any way you want. Remember not to make it too tall, or it could fall over when you are operating it.

6. Test your robot for stability, and add more rubber bands and Velcro if needed.

Boys’ Life has provided 100 years of great reading. Here are 100 other titles that every guy should read. Some suggestions will require parental guidance.

What You’ll Need

• Tape measure
• Saw
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• Glue
• Pocketknife
• 2 L screws
• 2 Finish nails
• Spring doorstop
• Metal coat hanger
• Bright-colored felt or cloth
• Braided fishing line and snelled hooks
• 1 3/4-inch x 22-inch dowel or straight branch
• 10-inch dowel or straight branch that fits into the end of the doorstop spring

What You’ll Do

1. Cut the dowels to length and sand smooth.

2. Drill pilot holes, then hammer in the finish nails about two inches from the base of the spring doorstop and four to five inches apart.

3. Screw both the L screws in place as shown.

4. Drill a snug hole for the coat hanger, push it through and bend to shape.

5. Screw the spring doorstop to the end of the large dowel.

6. Screw the small dowel into the end of the spring doorstop.

7. Glue on the flag.

8. Tie the braided fishing line off around one nail, and wrap about 25 yards of line around both nails. Add a snelled hook.

Fishing is simple. It’s catching that can be hard.

Ask at the fishing store how many tip-ups you’re allowed and what kind of bait to use. Usually worms or minnows work best. Start fishing with your bait just off the bottom. You might need some weight to get it down.

Ice should be as thick as a brick.

Ice should be three inches thick before you venture out. Dress warm and always go with a friend to be safe. Some towns place signs out on the ice to let you know if it’s safe.

Have some extra fun.

A tennis ball and an old golf club are all you need. Golf from hole to hole. Whoever makes it in the hole gets to watch the other guy check the bait and clear any accumulated ice from the hole. This simple game can keep you warm and having fun.

With a few ramps in his backyard, he has a great spot to practice right at home, which he does almost every day. Except that Keith doesn’t call it practicing.

“It’s just having a good time with my friends, being creative, doing whatever we want skating.”

Here are some skateboarding tips from Keith:

TIP 1: LEARN HOW TO FALL

It’s a fact, Keith says. “Be prepared for falls when you’re starting.” That’s why it’s important to learn the right way to take a tumble.

If the fall is too big for you to just land on your feet: Use your feet for a second as a stepping point. Tuck up into a ball (something like a skier’s tuck position), and then tumble and roll onto your shoulder.

And, Keith adds, always wear safety gear!

TIP 2: LEARN HOW TO DROP IN ON A RAMP

Start with the tail of your board on the edge of a ramp. Next, push down with the front foot and stay centered over the skateboard.

TIP 3: LEARN HOW TO OLLIE

You’ll be airborne for this trick, which can be done on either a flat surface or on a ramp.

Kick down on the tail of the skateboard and then level out the board by sliding your front foot forward. Think of it as sort of a jumping motion with the board “glued” to your feet.

This will take lots of practice. But once you master the ollie, you’ll have the foundation for many other tricks.

Find out more about skateboarding basics in the February 2011 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

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Most of the year, Mike Valladao designs software in San Jose, Calif. But for six weeks each fall, he dons bright-orange overalls and transforms himself into “Farmer Mike, World-Class Pumpkin Carver.”

Building on his first instruction in carving years ago with his trusty blue Cub Scout pocketknife, Farmer Mike has developed a style that has him in demand for carving demos across the nation.

“Carving great pumpkins is a craft, not an art,” Farmer Mike says. ” A craft means you know how to use the tools.”

And it means you, too, can learn it. Here’s how, straight from Farmer Mike.

PICKING A PUMPKIN

• If you want your Jack-O-Lantern to have character, start with a pumpkin that already has character. An elongated pumpkin is perfect for a laughing face; a short, fat pumpkin could lend itself to a wide toothy grin. Bumps on the surface might turn into a nose or warty chin.

• Choose a pumpkin in good condition. The entire surface should be firm.

PREPARING YOUR PUMPKIN

• Draw a pattern directly on the pumpkin. Let the shape be your guide. A long pumpkin deserves a long face. Some pumpkins work better upside down. “Move it around and create the best effect,” Farmer Mike says.

• Use two felt-tipped pens, one a water-based temporary marker, the other permanent. The water-based pen is erasable and will allow you to modify your design.

• With the water-based pen, draw a line down the center of the face. This will help you to stay balanced. Mark the position of the nose a little below the middle of your line. Then mark a line for the height of the eyes. Determine the width of the eyes and make your marks. (The great artist Leonardo da Vinci believed the centers of the eyes and the center of the nose should form a perfect triangle.)

• Draw out the eyes and nose. Overdo the features—a large flat nose will show better than a small one. Draw the mouth and eyebrows. Complete the rest of the features, including wrinkles. Play with it until you are satisfied. When finished, redraw over your creation with the permanent marker. Wipe off your temporary marks with a damp cloth.

• Clean out your pumpkin—the messy part! If you plan to light the pumpkin with a candle, cut a hole in the top (to allow heat and smoke to escape) and take out the insides with a spoon. If you do not plan to light the pumpkin, you can cut a hole in the back where it will not be seen.

CARVING YOUR MASTERPIECE

• Use as much depth as possible without needlessly cutting through the pumpkin. To do this you need to know the thickness of the pumpkin. Cut a core sample from an area that will not be seen—the center of one eye, if you plan to leave it open, or the inside of the mouth). Note that the thickness can vary from one part of the pumpkin to another. Inspect the inside to see if there are thin spots.

• Carve using a “chip” method. The base of the nose is a logical place to start because the nose requires depth around it so it can look as though it is protruding from the face. Without cutting all the way through the rind, use in-and-out movements to create a cut around the outline of the nose. Then, angle in with a second cut (about three-quarters of an inch to the outside of the first cut) to notch out a wedge around the bottom of the nose. If done correctly, the wedge will fall out without leaving a hole in the pumpkin.

• Once the outline of the nose is exposed, cut off the orange rind and begin giving the nose its shape. Gently taper the bridge of the nose back into the head. Nostrils can be cut clear through the shell. Create freckles by leaving small circles of orange rind while removing the surrounding areas.

• Cut the holes for the inside of the eyes and mouth. Leave the teeth intact. Later you can give shape to the teeth by cutting off the rind to recess them back from the lips and into the mouth. Continue with the cheeks, round the lips and finish the rest of the face.

• Set the eyes back into the pumpkin a little to make the face look more lifelike.

• Attempt to blend the features together and make any required changes. Give the pumpkin worry lines and wrinkles. Cut eyeballs from the back of the pumpkin to place in the eye sockets with toothpicks, or use “googlie eyes” from a craft store.

DISPLAYING YOUR CARVED PUMPKIN

• Display your carved pumpkin in a cool, dry location to make it last as long as possible—four to seven days is a long time.

• A candle or light bulb inside the pumpkin may add a great effect, but it will reduce the carving to mush in a matter of hours instead of days.

• Take plenty of photos.

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WIND VANE

A wind vane measures the direction of the wind.

Supplies:

• Aluminum baking dish, pie tin or tray that’s thin enough to cut
• Wooden garden stake that’s at least 3 feet tall and 1 inch thick
• 12-inch-long, 1-inch-thick piece of wood
• 2- to 3-inch-long nail
• Drill
• Metal washer
• Hammer
• Mallet
• Glue
• Small saw
• Scissors

1. Using the mallet, drive the garden stake into the ground until it feels sturdy. Choose a location that’s outdoors and relatively clear of anything that would obstruct the wind.

2. Using the saw, cut a half-inch slot into each end of the 12-inch-long piece of wood.

3. With the help of an adult, place the piece of wood on top of the stake, and drill a hole through the wood and into the stake. Use a drill bit that’s slightly larger than the nail you’ll be using.

4. Place the washer on top of the stake, and insert the nail through the wood and into the stake. The piece of wood should be free to rotate but not fall off.

5. Cut an arrowhead and tail out of the aluminum, and glue them into the slots on each end of the wood.

6. Wait for the wind to blow, and watch as your vane turns to point in the same direction.

ANEMOMETER

An anemometer measures the speed of the wind.

Supplies:

• New sharpened pencil
• 5 plastic foam cups
• Hole punch
• Straight pin
• 2 long plastic straws
• Felt marker
• Tape

1. Mark a number “1” on one of the cups and set it to the side.

2. Poke four holes evenly spaced apart in the sides of the cup by plunging the pencil straight through both sides. Make sure one set of holes is slightly lower than the other.

3. Poke the pencil through the bottom of the cup, then pull it out, turn it around, and push it through the hole again, this time with the eraser side up.

4. Thread straws through the holes of the cup so that they cross in the middle. Tape the straws in place.

5. Push the pencil up until the eraser touches the straws at the point where they cross. Push the straight pin through the straws and into the eraser so that the straws are held in place, but the cup can still spin around the pencil.

6. Using the pencil, poke one hole in the side of each remaining cup. Mount each cup on the straws.

7. Hold the apparatus by the pencil, wait for the wind to blow, and watch it spin. Count the number of revolutions the marked cup makes in one minute to track the wind speed.

RAIN GAUGE

A rain gauge measures the amount of rain.

You can make a rain gauge out of any kind of measuring cup left outside when it rains.

If an old measuring cup isn’t handy, cut the top off of a plastic water bottle. Use a ruler to measure how much water the bottle collects after a rainfall, or, better yet, use a waterproof marker to make inch marks on the side of the bottle.

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Love the pinewood derby? Click for photos of great cars, videos of amazing races and tips for building a fast car.

BIZARRE / GROSS

• Ripley’s Special Edition 2010 by Scholastic Inc.
• Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist by Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears, and Roxyanne Young
• Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy Masoff and Terry Sirrell
• Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying TRUTH! About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters, and More by Joshua Gee
• Grossology by Sylvia Branzei and Jack Keely
• Totally Gross (Ripley’s Believe It or Not!) (series)

COMIC BOOKS

• The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
• The Simpsons by Matt Groening
• Star Trek by J. J. Abrams, Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Tim Jones
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• The Far Side Gallery by Gary Larson

NONFICTION (MISC)

• Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2010 by BradyGames
• Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
• Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons by Ernest Drake and Dugald Steer
• The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
• MythBusters: Don’t Try This at Home by Discovery Channel and Mary Packard
• The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay and Neil Ardley
• Extreme Dinosaurs by Robert Mash
• Pirate (DK Eyewitness Books) (Series) by Richard Platt

HUMOR

• The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
• Immature Pranks by editors of Klutz
• Jokelopedia: The Biggest, Best, Silliest, Dumbest Joke Book Ever
• Giant Children by Brod Bagert
• Encyclopedia of Immaturity by editors of Klutz

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney
• Star Wars: Vector Volume 1 by John Jackson Miller
• Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
• Shonen Jump (magazine)
• The Battle Brawlers (Bakugan, Book 1) by Tracey West
• Rave Master, Book 1 by Hiro Mashima and MashimaHiro
• Bone Volume (series) by Jeff Smith
• Alchemist (series) by Hiromu Arakawa
• Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama

SPORTS – NONFICTION

• On the Court with…LeBron James by Matt Christopher and Stephanie Peters
• Extreme Sports Stars (High Interest Books) by Philip Abraham
• A Little Giant Book: Football Facts (series) by Michael J. Pellowski
• Street Skateboarding: Endless Grinds and Slides by Evan Goodfellow and Doug Werner
• BMX (Extreme Sports) by Chris Job

MILITARY / WARS / WEAPONS

• World War II by Simon Adams
• B-2 Stealth Bombers by Jack David
• Frontline Marines: Fighting in the Marine Combat Arms Units by Simone Payment
• Weapons of World War II (Blazers) by Doeden and Matt
• Main Battle Tanks: The M1A1 Abrams (War Machines) by Michael Green and Gladys Green

VEHICLES

• Wild About Lowriders by J. Poolos
• Custom Cars by Matt Doeden and Chuck Vranas
• Choppers by Marx and Mandy R.
• Sport Bikes (Motorcycles) by Jack David
• Hot Rods (Motor Mania) by Eric Braun

SURVIVAL

• Man vs. Wild: Survival Techniques from the Most Dangerous Places on Earth by Bear Grylls
• Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere – Alive by Les Stroud
• Amazing Stories of Survival by editors of People Magazine

OUTDOORS

• The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook by Christine Conners, Tim Conners
• Camping Made Easy by Michael Rutter
• The American Boy’s Handy Book by Daniel Carter Beard

SCARY

• The Demonata (series) by Darren Shan
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
• Stormbreaker (Alex Rider Series #1) by Anthony Horowitz
• Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (series) by Alvin Schwartz

SPORTS FICTION

• Travel Team (series) by Mike Lupica
• The Great Quarterback Switch by Matt Christopher
• Football Genius by Tim Green

MISC. FICTION

• 39 Clues (Series)
• The Lightning Thief (series) by Rick Riordan
• Spider Boy by Ralph Fletcher
• Hatchet (series) by Gary Paulsen
• Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
• Joey Pigza (Series) by Jack Gantos

BIOGRAPHIES / AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

• Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka
• Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid by Ralph Fletcher
• Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
• Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

PICTURE BOOKS

• No, David! (series) by David Shannon
• Amazing Sharks! (I Can Read series) by Sarah L. Thomson
• Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
• Parts (series) by Tedd Arnold
• Giant Children by Brod Bagert
• When I Was a Boy . . . I Dreamed by Justin Matott and Mark Ludy

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

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“It’s the only way to get better,” McAlexander says.

McAlexander uses a casting technique called The Shooter that can break a light bulb from 30 feet away using a fishing pole, some line and a lure. (Check out cool video of his trick at boyslife.org/casting)

Start with these basics from McAlexander, and you could soon be casting like a pro.

THE SHOOTER

Great For: Fishing Boat Docks and Brush Piles

“Shooting is basically an old crappie fishing technique,” McAlexander says. “I just took it and went into the bass world with it.”

Step 1: Lower the lure about half the distance between the rod tip and reel.

Step 2: If you’re using a spinning reel, flip open the bail, which is the thin wire part of the reel that is flipped from one side to the other. Hold the line with your dominant hand, and grasp the lure with the opposite hand.

Step 3: Draw the rod tip down and pull the lure back to your chest. You can even shoulder the rod like a rifle.

Step 4: Aim straight down the rod, then release the lure with your fingers and point straight down the rod with the finger that was holding your line. The line will come off the spool and propel the lure forward.

OVERHEAD CAST

Great For: Distance

“You can really get a lot of power behind an overhead cast,” McAlexander says. “It’s very accurate too, because you’re looking where you’re casting.”

Step 1: With your thumb, hold down the button on your bait casting reel and bring the rod back.

Step 2: Bring the rod forward and release your thumb. The bait will drag your line out.

Step 3: Push the button back down with your thumb to slow your spool. “If you don’t do it efficiently, you can end up with a backlash (line tangle),” McAlexander says.

PITCHING

Great For: Casting 10 Yards or Closer

“I like to use pitching for up-close, finesse fishing,” says McAlexander.

Step 1: While holding the rod straight up, let out enough line so that the lure comes down to the reel.

Step 2: Hold down the button on your reel, holding the spool steady. Grab your lure with your opposite hand. (Watch out for the hook!)

Step 3: Drop the rod tip down, bringing back your lure while keeping the line taut.

Step 4: Raise the rod tip in one swooping motion, pulling the lure out of your other hand. “That will drop the lure wherever your rod tip is pointing.”

Step 5: Control the distance by slowing the line with your thumb.

FLIPPING

Great For: Casting Into Weed Mats

“Flipping is a little bit faster than pitching, but it’s even shorter range,” McAlexander says. “It’s extremely effective, especially around shallow docks with mixed timber and vegetation.”

Step 1: Pull out a lot of slack line, estimating the distance to your target. Keep your thumb on the spool or keep your reel engaged.

Step 2: Start the lure swinging, then let the lure go out with the slack line. Do not let your thumb off the spool.

Step 3: “You can sit there, jiggle it a couple seconds in that spot, then pull your slack line out and do the same thing for the next spot.”

SIDEARM CAST

Great For: Windy Conditions

“If it’s windy outside, you want to keep your lure low,” McAlexander says. “With a straight overhead cast, the wind will really throw your lure around and reduce your distance. With the sidearm cast, you can skip your lure across the water and under cover.”

Step 1: Bring your rod back at your side, holding the button and using a circular swooping motion.

Step 2: Snap your wrist forward, releasing the button, which releases the line.

THE REEL WORLD

Spincaster: This is the classic push-button reel most people start with. McAlexander says it lets “you get the casting motion down before you have to figure out the mechanics of the reel.”

Baitcaster: This push-button reel gives you more control. To cast, you push the button down with your thumb; it locks in place. Then you hold the spool steady with your thumb until you cast. After you cast, you gradually apply more pressure to the spool to slow the speed of the lure as it gets close to its target. McAlexander likes to use this reel to get fish out of thick cover. He says it’s also good for casting spinner bait, jigs, crankbaits and swimbait lures.

Spinning reel: This is an open-face reel that has a spool of line parallel to the rod. McAlexander likes to use this reel to cast light crankbaits, Texas rigs, drop-shot rigs, jerkbaits and weightless soft plastics.

LICENSE PLATE GAME

For long trips, the License Plate Game might be the thing. In this version, call out letters from the license plates you see, then make as many ridiculous phrases as possible. For example, AST = Aardvarks Singling Tenderly or After-School Trampolining. You get the idea.

ALPHABET GAME

The Alphabet Game is good along roads with a lot of signs. Find a word with an “A,” call it out, then look for a word with “B” and so on. First one to the end of the alphabet wins. You might want to skip trying to find “Q” and “Z.” Or not.

LINES AND DOTS

Use graph paper for a couple of travel games. With Lines and Dots, draw lines on the paper. Take turns drawing one side of a square at a time, trying to make boxes. When you complete a box, put your initials in it. Whoever makes the most boxes in 15 minutes or so wins.

INFINITE TIC-TAC-TOE

Another game with graph paper is Infinite Tic-Tac-Toe. In this game, the first person to get five in a row wins, and there are no borders except for the edge of the page.

I SPY

In I Spy, pick out something you see nearby (that other players can also see), but keep what it is to yourself. Say, “I spy with my little eye …” and then provide one description of the object. For instance, with the windshield wipers you might say, “I spy something long” or “something black.” After each hint, players take a turn guessing what the object is.

ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS AND 20 QUESTIONS

Rock-Paper-Scissors and 20 Questions hardly need explaining. There are variations of these games, such as Foot-Cockroach-Nuclear Bomb, and 20 Questions about movies you’ve seen or books you’ve read, instead of some random object.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

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If your boat does all this, it finishes ahead of any boat that can’t. Here’s how to build your winner.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Regatta Kit (BSA Supply No. 17090, $3.99, http://www.scoutstuff.org)
• Fine sandpaper
• Scissors
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush
• Superglue
• Spray paint (optional)
• Adult permission and/or supervision

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Step 1: Sand the balsa wood hull’s sides and bottom until smooth.

Step 2: Put the mast in, and bend back the mast to “rake” it a little. Take the mast out for now.

Step 3: Seal the hull, using two coats of polyurethane, then sand it smooth.

Step 4: Add the keel and the rudder. Put both on the centerline and at right angles to the bottom of the hull. Put the keel on as far back as you can, just ahead of the rudder.

Step 5: Glue the keel’s narrow edge next to the hull and the angled edge forward. This makes your boat harder to tip and quicker to right.

Step 6: If you paint the boat, keep it simple — spray paint works fine. Three thin coats make an attractive finish. Attach the mast after painting.

Step 7: Trim 1/4 inch off the top and 3/4 inch off the bottom of the sail. Cut a new bottom hole 1/2 inch above the old one. Clip off the bottom corners so they can’t snag the gutter.

Step 8: To keep the sail above the gutter, attach it so that the bottom is 1 1/2 inches above the deck. Glue the sail to the mast so that it can’t move. Attach the sail at right angles to the centerline.

HOW TO CAPTAIN THE BOAT

No matter how well you make your boat, victory demands a skilled captain. An even wind, for instance, moves the boat faster than do frantic puffs.

Practice long, steady breaths. Your breath should hit the sail directly behind the sail and just below the center.

If you’re too high, blowing downward, you will force the bow down, slowing the boat. You’ll blow your chance to win.

Position yourself so that you are blowing from behind the boat and slightly up, using a gentle, steady breath.

Justin qualified for his first Tour event by winning the 2009 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) FootJoy Invitational. Since he’s still an amateur, Justin can’t keep prize money. But the experience left him richer in another way.

“It really gave me a lot of confidence that I could play with those guys,” he says. “It’s a matter of who putts and who chips the best.”

BL talked with Justin to get his tips on playing golf.

1. THE DRIVE. It’s cool to hit it far, but it’s better to hit it straight.

Start with your grip: Place all your fingers around the club with your thumbs staying on the top. Keep the club in your fingers, rather than in your palm, and grip lightly.

Then comes the stance: Place your feet shoulder-width apart, and line up the ball with the inside heel of your front foot. Swing back by turning your shoulders and hips away from the target, keeping your head still. Start the swing back to the ball by turning your hips toward the target as you swing through. Your hands should finish over your shoulder on the follow-through.

2. IRONS. Use a hybrid club instead of a 3-, 4- or 5-iron. Hybrids are much easier to hit. At your setup, place the ball halfway between the middle of your stance and the front foot. The shorter the club is (the higher its number), the farther back you want to place the ball. But don’t go farther back than halfway between your feet for full swings.

3. SHORT GAME. That’s chipping and putting. Practice it about 10 times more than you think you should. The stroke is similar for both. In putting, start with the ball just in front of mid-stance. Your backswing and follow-through should be equal distance. The longer the putt, the more backswing and follow-through.

4. BUNKERS. Stand with the ball near the front of your stance, lining it up with the inside heel of your front foot. A lot of people are afraid of hitting out of the sand. Just take a full swing, aim an inch behind the ball — this is one of the rare cases in golf where you do not hit the ball first — and follow through so the sand helps lift the ball out of the bunker.

5. PITCH. This is when you’re off the green about 40 to 100 yards and want to loft the ball high without too much roll. Stand with your feet closer than shoulder-width and so the ball is at the mid-stance. When you swing, think of a light karate chop down on the ball. Keep your hands ahead of the ball. Follow through with your arms, but not as far as a full swing with irons or woods. The ball should fly up, then almost stick on the green because of the backspin.

6. ROUTINE. Having a pre-shot routine is important. With tee shots, chips, irons, I:

1. Take two or three practice swings;
2. Get 10 feet behind the ball and face the target;
3. Visualize the shot I want to hit;
4. Set up to the ball and hit it.

On putts, after I read the green, I go 10 feet behind the ball facing the target and try to visualize the ball going in, take two practice swings next to it, then hit.

7. GENERAL THOUGHTS. Try not to think too much. The more things you think about, the worse you’re probably going to hit. Aim for the fairway. When I’m on the practice tee, I try to invent competition scenarios so I’m not just hitting as hard as I can. If there are flags or trees, I use them as targets. I say to myself: “This is the right side of the fairway. This is the left.” You practice how you play. Commit to the shot you want to hit. Don’t second-guess yourself.

8. ATTITUDE. Everyone struggles at some point with something. Earlier in high school, if I had a bad hole, I’d think negatively and it would keep getting worse and worse. You have to realize that the best players in the world have bad days. You want those bad days to be as good as possible. Sometimes the weather makes it hard to play. You can’t let the conditions get to your head. Understand that sometimes, par is a good score. Sometimes bogey is too. If you want to be the best, learn to accept those kinds of things. Be patient. Be confident. Practice as much as you can.

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Packs around the country are preparing to hold their annual pinewood derby. There are many ways to make your pinewood derby car go faster. Here are some of them.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR PINEWOOD DERBY CAR DESIGN

The possibilities are endless when it comes to picking a shape for your pinewood derby car. Before you begin, consider the following guidelines:

NEED IDEAS? See a slideshow of more than 100 cool pinewood derby designs created by Boys’ Life readers

Avoid designs with a pointed nose. A pointed nose will make it difficult for your pinewood derby car to rest on the pin at the starting gate. It may also cause your pinewood derby car to get bumped around when the pin drops, and it can create problems for electronic timing systems.

Leave enough wood in the rear of the pinewood derby car so you can place additional weight there. You will end up putting most of the weight in the rear of the pinewood derby car.

Be sure that it is very clear which end of your pinewood derby car is the front and which end is the back. In many races, the race officials—not you—will actually place each pinewood derby car on the track. Sometimes the officials put the pinewood derby car on the track backward because they can’t tell which end is which.

Choose a design that allows the air to move over and around the pinewood derby car body in a smooth manner. Pinewood derby cars with aerodynamic profiles go faster.

DESIGNING THE ULTIMATE PINEWOOD DERBY CAR

You don’t have to strive for the “ultimate pinewood derby car” to build a fast car and have fun competing in your pinewood derby. But if you and a helpful adult are willing to put in the extra time and effort, these tips are for you.

LOOKING GOOD How to give your pinewood derby car that glossy finish

Bake the Block: Start with your block of wood, and before you do anything else, bake it in the oven at 250 degrees for around two hours to remove moisture and make it lighter.

Create the Design: Select a fast design.

Cut the Design: Draw the outline of your pinewood derby car on a sheet of paper, cut it out and attach it to your block of wood.

Make a Three-Wheeler: Raise one wheel about 1/16 inch higher so it never actually touches the track. Less friction = more speed.

Extend the Wheelbase: The front and rear wheels should be as far apart as possible.

Determine Weight Placement: A heavier rear increases speed. Add weight to the rear of your pinewood derby car.

Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed.

Sand the Pinewood Derby Car: Make it smooth to reduce friction.

Lubricate the Wheel Well: The less friction between the body and wheel, the better.

CHOOSING YOUR AXLES

Not all axles are created equal. Here’s a tip on choosing the straightest out of your bunch.

1. Start with a set of about 20 raw axles.

2. Can you tell the difference between the axles in the top row and the ones on the bottom? The ones on the bottom aren’t straight and will slow your car.

3. To tell which are straight and which aren’t, mark each axle with a marker about 1/2 inch from the pointed end.

4. Have an adult clamp a power drill into a vise, a device that will hold it perfectly still.

5. Have an adult help you clamp each axle into the drill at the location you marked in Step 3. Have the adult turn on the drill.

6. Bent axles will wobble as they turn in the drill. Straight axles will hardly wobble at all. Pick the ones that wobble least.

WANT MORE SECRETS?

Pick up a copy of “Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets” (BSA Supply No. 30538, 1-800-323-0736, www.scoutstuff.org) for lots more info on building the pinewood derby car body, preparing the axles and wheels, alternatives to the “ultimate pinewood derby car” and putting it all together.

And once you’ve built your pinewood derby car, get ideas on making it look great from “Pinewood Derby Designs & Patterns” (DK Publishing, $12.95 softcover), also available from a BSA retail store.

Remember: The No. 1 rule of a pinewood derby is that it’s supposed to be fun. While you should always strive to do your best, don’t get caught up in winning. Just enjoy the ride.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Coarse, medium-grit and fine sandpaper
• Liquid Sanding Sealer
• Enamel paint
• Decals or self-stick numbers
• Testor’s Glosscote clear gloss paint
• Floor wax paste

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Support Your Sandpaper

Begin by wrapping sandpaper in a block of wood 1 inch by 3 inches. Without a block of wood for support, sandpaper can leave dips and gullies in the pinewood body.

Round the corners of the pinewood with coarse sandpaper. For the squared-off look of an antique car or a modern Indy 500 car, sand the edges lightly. If you want the shape of Sprint or older Grand Prix cars, sand until the pinewood has an oval or elliptical shape.

Change to medium-grit paper for smoothing rough edges. Finish with fine sandpaper to remove any sanding marks.

Hide the Grain

Just painting the pinewood won’t hide the wood’s grain. Apply two coats of liquid Sanding Sealer (sold at hobby shops). Let the sealer dry overnight before sanding it lightly with fine-grit paper.

If the grain still shows, apply two more coats of sealer. Let it dry overnight and sand again. Repeat the process until the grain disappears.

Choose a color for your racer. Then apply two to three coats of enamel paint to the pinewood body. Spraying the model with paint from an aerosol can is easier than using a brush.

If you use a brush, dip only the lower third of the brush into the paint. Use single, smooth strokes instead of dabbing the paint on the model. Blend the strokes so they can’t be seen.

Pick a Number

Place a race number on the car. Buy self-stick numbers at stationery stores or decals at a hobby shop.

Seal and protect the race number by spraying the entire model with Testor’s Glosscote clear gloss paint. Other clear paints may make the numbers curl. Test the clear paint on a decal or number stuck to scrap plastic before spraying your racer.

Let the clear paint dry for at least a week. Then cover the model with floor wax paste and buff to a high gloss. The wax will protect the car and give your pinewood derby racer the look of shining steel.

More pinewood derby fun:

• Complete pinewood derby guide
• More than 100 photos of pinewood derby cars sent in by readers
• Speed secrets to make your pinewood derby car go faster
• Watch video of a super-fast pinewood derby track
• Play BL‘s new pinewood derby game

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Watch the trick in action:

See how it’s done:

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Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

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One way is to make an insect spreading board — your own nature museum made up of the most common insects in your neighborhood. It might make you think twice before squashing the next bug you see.

Here’s how to make your own bug board:

STEP 1: Get a good field guide. You can buy “Bugs & Slugs: An Introduction to Familiar North American Invertebrates” from www.scoutstuff.org ($5.95, Item No. 30403), but you can also find good guides for free at the library or on the Internet.

A good guide should provide color photos or illustrations of different bugs, along with information on their behavior and habitat.

STEP 2: Make a collecting net. You can buy one at many retail stores (often in the toy department), or you can make your own with a wire clothes hanger and a patch of nylon strainer netting available at most hardware stores.

Bend the clothes hanger into a loop. Go to the paint section of the hardware store and ask for a five-gallon nylon strainer. Weave some fishing line through the holes near the edge of the strainer and “sew” it to the clothes hanger. Use duct tape to fasten the hanger to a broom handle or a wooden dowel.

STEP 3: Construct a killing jar. Freezing is the safest and cleanest method of preparing bugs for mounting. Just place your specimens in a jar and leave the jar in the freezer until the critters are dead.

You can also enlist the help of an adult or merit badge counselor to make a killing jar that uses chemicals (such as nail polish remover). Be extra careful, as these chemicals can be dangerous to you as well as the bug.

STEP 4: Make a bug board. You can use almost any shallow box to show your insects. Sometimes the top of a large box works great. Use a material such as polystyrene foam, cardboard or fiberboard to reinforce the bottom of your board.

Regular straight pins are O.K. for pinning insects, but they might rust over time and spoil the specimen. Search online for special insect pins that will last longer.

When pinning a bug to your board, be careful to do as little damage as possible. Small bugs should be glued instead of pinned.

STEP 5: Catch some bugs. Take your field guide with you. When you get started, it might be easier to look for any bugs, instead of one specific bug. Once you’ve collected a nice variety, then you can move on to filling the holes in your collection.

Learn which bugs are common in your area. A bug collection in Wisconsin is going to look different from a bug collection in Southern California. Don’t waste your time looking for critters that don’t even live in your region.

STEP 6: Label your bugs. You can simply tear off a small piece of paper from a standard white sheet, or you can buy labels from an office supply store. Write down the name of the bug and the date and location where it was found.

Take it a step further and write down the scientific name of the bug, along with notes on other conditions in which it was found, such as temperature, the kinds of plants nearby and recent rainfall.

Beware of Carpet Beetles. If you spot some brown dust on the bottom of your bug box, your specimens are likely being targeted by the larvae of carpet beetles, which will eat mounted insects. A moth crystal inside of an envelope will keep them out. Place the entire box in the freezer for a week to get rid of the ones that have already set up shop.

Good Hunting. You can watch and study insects wherever you find them, but it might be illegal to collect them from natural areas such as state parks, national parks and wildlife refuges. Collect them instead from around your house and throughout your neighborhood.

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Ken Burns knows a little something about making movies. His famous documentaries, including “The Civil War” and “Baseball,” have won many awards over the years. “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” is his latest film.

BL sat down with Burns, a former Scout, and asked for his best advice on making movies.

“Filmmaking is difficult but unbelievably rewarding,” he says. “It involves a lot of details that require a lot of patience. If you remember some of these basic tips, you can’t go wrong.”

TELL A STORY. The most important thing is to know what you want to do in your video. What’s the story you want to tell? You’re going to be leaving something that is going to last a long time. Take advantage of this opportunity. Say you have a grandfather who was in World War II. Talk to him and get his story. You can record any great experiences like this. Long after the subjects are gone, you have a record — and this becomes our new family albums.

LIGHTING. Today’s video cameras respond in very low lighting situations, which is good, but this can lull a filmmaker to “sleep.” And quite often it’s important to have better lighting on your subject.

Shoot practice footage first and see what it looks like. You might be shooting somebody in a living room and it’s a little murky, but it looks O.K. in the viewfinder. Then when you review the video, it doesn’t look good. Consider positioning your subject next to a window where there’s more light, turn on a light in the room or in a particularly dark situation, add your own light to make it more beautiful.

THE LOOK. Do you want a handheld or steady look to your video? The handheld approach gives you some intimacy, but it also has problems: The audience can get a little dizzy. If you choose to go this way, concentrate on being as steady as possible.

For a steadier look, put the camera on a tripod and don’t move it around too much or too quickly. Constantly moving the tripod doesn’t work very well unless you have a fluid head — an expensive piece of equipment that attaches to the top of the tripod and lets the camera move in a fluid motion while panning or tilting.

You can always change the shot and move to a different angle. Follow the action but don’t do wild, unnecessary movements. That’s what makes a video look like just home-movie stuff.

SOUND. Always be aware of the sound around you. Our ears tend to filter out that noisy refrigerator, the traffic outside, the TV or radio in the next room, other chatter. With film, these sounds get in the way. Remember that the microphone on the camera doesn’t filter out sound as our ears do.

FRAMING. Figure out how to frame things well in each shot so that they’re pleasing to the eye and also help tell your story. Once again, take advantage of the instantaneous feedback of video to see if your techniques are working.

EDIT. Whether you use a PC or Mac, there is a lot of easy-to-understand home video-editing software to help you shape your film into a coherent story. You don’t have to assume that whatever you shot is whatever you get. You have the ability to edit.

NO RULES. There really are no rules in filmmaking. Even the jerkiest, murkiest, loud and noisy films can sometimes be unbelievably effective. But that’s because the filmmaker wanted them that way. If you don’t want them that way, do everything you can to prevent it.

It’s important in any art form for people to experiment. There’s going to be that one person who figures out how to break all the rules and make a masterpiece. At the same time, you have to know what you want to do and how you’re going to do it. And if you can get there by breaking some of the rules, that’s great.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and good luck.

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To begin your quest for stone skipping success, follow these steps:

1. Select a skipping stone. The stone should be mostly flat, about the size of the palm of your hand and about the weight of a tennis ball. Triangular stones tend to skip best. Avoid circular stones. They’re less stable.

2. Grip the stone. Hold it with your thumb and middle finger, then firmly hook your index finger along the edge. Your thumb goes on the top of the stone, not around the edge.

3. Throw the stone. Stand up straight, facing at a slight angle to the water. Try to maintain this position during your entire windup and release. The lower your hand is at the release, the better.

Throw out and down at the same time. A skipping stone is bouncing off the water, so give it plenty of downward force. Try throwing faster instead of harder — strength is not the key, quickness is.

4. Release the stone. The faster the stone is spinning, the better it will skip. Spin it as hard as you can with a quick snap of your wrist. The stone should hit the water parallel to the surface.

Jerdone McGhee is founder of the North American Stone Skipping Association.

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With the following tips, you can, too. So sharpen that pencil, get out some paper and let’s get started.

DRAWING THE HEAD

All dogs share the same basic head and body construction. By practicing these steps, you’ll soon be able to draw any dog. (Don’t trace. You’ll learn much more if you freehand.)

Let’s start with a dalmation.

1. Begin with a circle. Drawing the guidelines on the circle will help you see it as a three-dimensional globe. The horizontal line hangs low on the globe — that’s where the eyes will go. The vertical line is the center line — it divides the face in half.

2. The head has three components: the skull, the cheeks and the jaw.

3. Place the eyes on the horizontal “eye line.”

4. The bridge of the nose begins high on the face — between the dog’s eyes — and thrusts forward. Notice how it gets larger as it comes toward you.

5. Now add a smiling mouth, which pushes up into the cheeks and causes creases. The jaw, off to one side, creates a lively smile.

6. Big, floppy ears and a thick neck bring this guy to life. A few small teeth on the lower jaw add a professional touch.

7. Add spots, and erase your guide lines for a clean finished drawing.

THE EARS

Floppy ears add charm and personality to a dog. Most dog ears fold over, with the exception of short, triangular ears — the kind found on terriers, chow chows, German shepherds and a few other breeds. The most important thing to remember about drawing the folded ear is that the line from the base of the ear should point to the outermost corner of the fold.

Right: The base of the ear points to the outermost corner of the fold. (The dashes are not part of your drawing.)

Wrong: The base of the ear doesn’t connect to anything; it just shoots out into space.

DRAWING THE BODY-SIDE VIEW

There are three main parts to a dog’s body: the head, the rib cage and the hindquarters. Everything connects to those three areas. Notice how the back crests at the base of the neck. The large rib cage gives the dog a powerful chest. The hindquarters rise, although slightly less than the shoulders, and then slope down sharply toward the tail. The tail is an extension of the spine and must flow seamlessly from the spinal cord.

CLASSIC TERRIER

The tiny terrier’s neck is surprisingly thick and muscular. The compact body shows very little in the way of a waistline, and the short legs allow the body to hover just above the ground. Note the distinctive triangular ears. He’s also got bushy eyebrows, a bushy mouth, bushy forelegs and hind legs, and small paws.

COLLIE

This breed has a slender, almost pointed face and an appealing two-toned coat of fur. It always maintains an alert expression and gives the impression of being a large dog. However, under that huge layer of hair is a rather trim animal with an unimpressive build. The small paws are the giveaway.

But, because our view of the collie as a full-bodied dog is so ingrained in us, it’s better to start with an overall large shape than to draw a thin body and fill it out with hair. The collie is always well-groomed, so don’t let the hair appear ragged.

SAINT BERNARD

The Saint Bernard is instantly recognizable for its long, flapping jowls. It’s not a graceful dog; in fact, its movements are kind of, well, sloppy. It should always appear to be well fed, and it has a sort of dopey personality. Give your Saint Bernard a big nose. The ears are actually shorter than shown here, but cartoons typically depict this dog with long ears.

CREATING EXPRESSIONS

Most people only think to use the mouth and the eyebrows to create facial expressions, but there’s more to it than that. The shape of the eyes changes, depending on whether the eyebrows crush down on the eyes or lift them up.

Most importantly, though, is the length of the upper lip, which changes according to the expression. Notice how short the upper lip is in the happy expressions here and how long it becomes in surprised or unhappy expressions. The mouth can be “tugged” to one side, which provides an extra accent.

You can add teeth or forget about them, depending on the emotion being expressed, and you can even change the shape of the teeth. Spiked teeth work well in angry expressions but not on worried ones — they look too aggressive.

LINE OF ACTION

When I look at the sketchbooks of aspiring cartoonists and artists, most illustrations don’t convey a sense of thrust. The artists have worked hard on the eyes, the head, the muscles and so on, but there is no flow to the drawings. They have no direction. The characters are just jumbles of parts, which makes them look stiff. It’s certainly important to master drawing those individual parts. No doubt about it. But the parts need an overall framework in which to exist. That’s where the line of action — shown in red — comes into play.

LEARN MORE

For more information about drawing dogs and other animals, visit Christopher Hart’s website at www.kidsdraw.com

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Making a periscope from wood and a few pieces of mirror is easier than you might think. Here are plans and instructions for a periscope more than two feet long—just what you want for heavy-duty secret agent work.

Click here for a PDF version of these instructions.

YOU’LL NEED:

• Two glass mirrors 1⁄8-inch thick by 2 3⁄8-inches wide by 3 inches long
• Two pieces of pine or plywood 3⁄8-inch thick by 2 1⁄8-inches wide by 25 3⁄4-inches long (side members)
• Two pieces of pine or plywood 3⁄8-inch thick by 3 3⁄8-inches wide by 23 inches long (front and back parts)
• Two mirror blocks 2 1⁄8-inches thick by 2 9⁄16-inches wide by 2 3⁄4-inches long, cut into triangular blocks according to diagram
• Silicone caulking, carpenter’s glue, 1-inch finishing nails
• Adult permission and/or help

Step 1. Cut wood to size using a table saw.

Step 2. You can have the mirrors cut for you at any glass shop, or you can prepare the mirrors yourself using a glass cutter. If you go to a glass shop, bring the mirror blocks with you so they know what size you need. If you do it yourself, make sure there is an adult on hand to help you. The mirrors shouldn’t cost more than a few dollars.

Step 3. Glue one mirror to each angled face of the mirror blocks, using silicone caulking. Set these aside to dry overnight.

Step 4. Clamp one sidepiece to each side of the mirror blocks, and then place one face piece over the top edges of the sides. The plans show how this face piece is shorter than the sides, and must extend to the top of the periscope. That leaves the mirror open for you to look through. When everything is lined up, fasten this first face to the sides with carpenter’s glue and 1-inch finishing nails. Don’t glue the mirror blocks yet. They must be free to move around for adjustment later.

Step 5. Now flip the periscope over so you can glue and nail the second face to the other edges of the sides. This will form a long, rectangular box—your periscope.

Step 6. Before setting the project aside to dry, slide the mirror blocks out, just to be sure they don’t get glued in.

Step 7. After letting your periscope’s body dry overnight, remove the clamps, smear a little glue on the mirror blocks’ sides and slip them back in position. If friction alone doesn’t keep them in place, hold them still with a few small clamps across the sides of the periscope.

Step 8. It’s now time for adjustment. Pick up the periscope and look through one end; it doesn’t matter which. How do things look? If your line of sight seems tilted, adjust the direction of each mirror up or down until you’re happy. You won’t have to move the blocks much. When you can see a clear, rectangular view of the world, that’s great! Just set the periscope aside until the glue blocks dry.

Step 9. Finish by sanding the periscope and applying three coats of urethane.

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Watch the trick in action:

See how it’s done:

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THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

This promise tree can also become an instant jewelry hanger.

1. Find a branch with plenty of twigs. You can paint it or leave it natural.

2. Stand up the branch in a container and stabilize it with pebbles or clay.

3. Cut shapes from paper and write special coupons for your mom.

4. For surprise coupons, you can roll up squares of paper.

5. Attach them to the branch with colorful bits of yarn. And no griping when she uses them!

COASTING

Make a set of coasters for mom’s drinking glasses or mugs.

1. Trace a circle slightly larger than the base of a cup.

2. Place leaves and flowers between two pieces of clear contact paper. For an added touch, glue felt to the bottom of each coaster.

3. Press the contact paper and felt together before cutting.

4. Cut out the circle (or other shape).

FLOWER POWER

Want flowers for Mom to last as long as possible? Turn them into a place mat.

1. You’ll need two pieces of clear contact paper big enough for a table setting. With the backing pulled off, arrange petals, leaves and flattened flowers on the sticky side of one piece.

2. Carefully lay the second sheet, sticky side down, over your design. (An extra pair of hands can help.) Bending and placing the contact paper as shown will help avoid wrinkles and bubbles.

3. Trim the edges to make a fancy border.

4. The colors of the flowers will fade, but their beauty won’t.

MOMS ROCK!

Turn a rock into a pendant your mother will love.

1. Wrap a piece of yarn or embroidery floss around the rock every which way.

2. Tie the ends together at one side, then make a double knot a little farther up to create a loop.

3. Coat the rock and yarn with white liquid glue.

4. Keep it on a piece of wax paper until the glue dries clear.

POETRY TO HER EARS

Make your mom a set of poetry pebbles to play with.

1. Find at least 20 smooth pebbles similar in size.

2. With a permanent marker, write a single word on each one.

3. Choose words you think she would like, using a mix of nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns and prepositions.

CATCH SOME RAYS …

… and Mom’s attention with a dazzling sun catcher that’s easy to make.

1. Cover your work area with newspaper, then sandwich flowers and leaves between two pieces of wax paper.

2. Tuck some glitter and colorful crayon shavings inside, too.

3. With adult supervision, cover with a layer of newspaper, then run an iron set on low over the sun catcher to seal it.

4. The sun catcher can be cut into any shape you wish.

5. Punch a hole at the top and add a loop of yarn so it will be ready to hang.

DON’T SPILL THE BEANS!

Make a secret hiding place for Mom’s treasures. You’ll need a glass jar with a lid, a piece of cardboard, a cardboard tube and some dried beans.

1. Cut a circular cardboard base that is smaller than the bottom of your glass jar.

2. Cut the tube so it is slightly shorter than the jar, and glue it to the cardboard base.

3. Plug the tube with paper before filling the jar with beans.

4. Stand the tube and base inside the jar. Pour dried beans all around it, right up to the top. Remove the paper to unplug the tube.

5. This hiding place is so good, you might want to make one for yourself.

NUTTY PICTURES

Here’s a photo case Mom will be nuts about.

1. Find a large, symmetrical walnut.

2. Ask an adult to split a walnut shell in half.

3. Trim photos to fit on each rim.

4. Glue them into place.

5. When the glue has dried, put the two walnut halves back together and glue a scrap of felt across them to make a hinge.

Don’t let that happen to yours. Use a hide rack patch display. Based on Native American “hide racks” that cured fur pelts, this display lets you show off your souvenirs and practice knots and hitches.

YOU’LL NEED:

• two one-inch-diameter dowels, 42 inches long
• two one-inch-diameter dowels, 29 inches long
• 1⁄8-inch cotton cord
• 1⁄8-inch bit and drill
• wood screws and screwdriver
• piece of brown or tan synthetic suede leather, 24 inches wide by 36 inches long
• 24 inches of self-adhesive Velcro fastening tape, 1⁄2 inch wide
• scissors

Step 1: To build the frame, position the dowels (use real branches for a more rustic look) in a rectangle. The shorter dowels should lay vertically on top of the longer dowels. Leave an overlap of about two inches on the corners.

Step 2: Drill a 1⁄8-inch pilot hole about 11⁄2 inches deep at each corner. Be sure not to drill completely through the horizontal dowels. Secure each corner with a screw and turn the frame over.

Step 3: With the cotton cord, tie a square lashing on each of the four corners.

Step 4: Give the entire frame, including lashings, a coat of brown wood stain. You might also want to apply a light coat of satin varnish or a polyurethane finish to the frame. Allow the frame to dry.

Step 5: Trim the hide about two inches smaller than the frame. Save the leftover scraps.

Step 6: Cut a row of 1⁄4-inch-long slits along the edges of the hide, spacing the slits about one inch apart and 1⁄2 inch from the edge.

Step 7: From the leftover scrap, cut 1⁄4-inch-wide strips, as long as possible. Join the strips together using square knots until you have two laces 20 feet long each.

Step 8: Lay the frame faceup on a large flat sur face (The screws should not be showing.) Using a
clove hitch, tie the laces to the frame in two opposite corners.

Step 9: Position the hide in the center of the frame and begin looping the laces through the slits—under the hide and over the dowel. Keep an even tension by working in opposite directions. End with a final clove hitch.

Step 10: Cut the Velcro into 1⁄2-inchsquare pieces. Before attaching the squares to the patches, arrange your patches on the rack, which is screwside down.

Step 11: To mount the Velcro, peel off the plastic strip covering the hook side of a Velcro pad and stick it to the patch. Then peel off the strip covering the fuzzy side and stick it to the hide. (Keeping the hook and fuzzy sides consistent will make it easier to rearrange your patches later.)

Step 12: Tie leather strips to the upper corners of the frame to form hanging loops. Attach the rack to your wall using nails or picture hangers. Besides patches, you can also display hat pins, historic trail medals, ribbons or other mementos. What better way to show off the things you’re proud of!

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Recycled food barrel (try checking with large restaurants or food distributors)
• 2 to 4 concrete blocks (to allow room for a bucket to fit under the spigot)
• 3/4-inch hose spigot
• Drill
• Saber saw
• 3/4 x 1-1/4-inch threaded pipe nipple (used as overflow connector)
• Window screen
• PVC cement

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Wash out the barrel with a solution of 1/8-cup bleach and 5 gallons of water.

2. Drill a 15/16-inch hole a few inches from the bottom of the barrel. Thread the spigot halfway into the barrel, apply PVC cement onto the threads and continue screwing it in until snug.

3. Using the same procedure as the spigot, install the 3/4-inch overflow connector a few inches from the top of the barrel.

4. Choose a good spot for the rain barrel. It needs to be close to a rain downspout and a short distance from your plants and gardens.

5. Raise the barrel off the ground by placing it on concrete blocks. Reconfigure the downspout so it empties directly into the barrel. Use the screen to cover the open hole in the barrel to prevent insects or debris from getting in.

6. If you’ve installed an overflow, you can attach a hose and direct the water to another part of your yard.

Watch the trick in action:

See how it’s done:

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You’ll need:

• a piece of one-inch-thick hardwood, 4 inches long by 2 inches wide
• two 1⁄2-by-4-inch roundhead wood screws
• plastic garbage bag
• sandpaper
• drill and bits, up to 1⁄2 inch
• crosscut and rip saws
• screwdriver
• scissors

Step 1: Saw off a strip 1⁄2 inch wide.

Step 2: Measure and mark positions for three holes on top of the strip. Measure 13⁄8 inches from one end and make a centered mark.

Step 3: From that mark, measure 3⁄4 inch in both directions. Clamp the two pieces of wood together to ensure drilled holes will line up.

Step 4: Use a 3⁄32-inch bit to start the three pilot holes. Drill the center hole 13⁄16 inches deep and the outside holes 1⁄2 inch deep. (Wrap a piece of masking tape around the bit to mark where to stop.) Gradually increase the center hole’s diameter: 5⁄32 inch, 13⁄64 inch, 1⁄4 inch and then—by 16ths—to 1⁄2 inch. Redrill the outside holes 1⁄4 inch deep with a 7⁄32-inch bit. Drive the wood screws so the heads are beneath the surface.

Step 5: From the end of the base you began measuring from, drill a 3⁄32-inch pilot hole 15⁄8 inches deep. Gradually increase the hole to 1⁄2 inch, as before, creating an “L”-shaped airway between the base and the strip.

Step 6: At the opposite end of the base, drill a 1⁄8-inch pilot hole at the center all the way into the blowhole. Increase its size to 3⁄16 inch.

Step 7: At the same end, drill a hole all the way through the strip for a leather thong.

Step 8: Cut a strip from a plastic garbage bag, 11⁄16 inches wide and 2 inches long. Remove the screws and lay the plastic over the holes in the base. Replace the top and redrive the screws. Smooth the entire instrument with sandpaper. (Wrap a strip around a piece of dowel to smooth the inside of the airway holes.) Apply stain or varnish.

Bring the blowhole firmly against your lips and hum loudly into it. With your tongue against your palate, create sort of a “duh, doo, duh” sound. Practice songs from your favorite tape or CD, as well as some classic camp tunes. You’re ready to rock your troop all night long!

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Watch the trick in action:

See how it’s done:

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

The best-known snow shelter is the igloo. A brilliant use of engineering and resources, this simple dome made out of snow blocks is both strong and versatile.

THE MOST FAMOUS SNOW SHELTER

Arctic cultures such as the Eskimo and the Inuit developed it, and over time they came up with a hundred tricks to make the shelter more comfortable and sturdy, including making the entrance small (to help keep heat in) and melting the inside of the dome and letting it refreeze (for increased strength).

The earliest reference of igloo use came from the Vikings, who settled parts of Greenland and explored the eastern Canadian coast about a thousand years ago. They found natives living in igloos, but didn’t use them themselves because they considered the technology inferior.

History has proven otherwise, as the Vikings lasted for only about four centuries in the harsh climate of Greenland, while the native peoples are still carving igloos from the landscape today. Six hundred years after the tough Vikings were defeated by the tougher weather of the Little Ice Age, Boy Scouts still use the design of the igloo to keep warm.

BUILDING AN IGLOO

Diameter: Not to exceed 10 feet. Anything bigger would require a perfect dome, which is next to impossible to construct in the field.

Materials: Top layers of dry powder won’t work. Pack mounds of snow until they harden, or cut blocks of snow from the depth where your feet stop sinking.

Entrance: Build a door in the ground, about 18 inches lower than the ground inside the igloo, and tunnel below the wall into the igloo. For proper ventilation, never seal or close the entrance.

Walls: Cut the blocks into a spiral layer, leaning one block against the next. Keep the interior wall smooth so moisture can run down the side of the wall, instead of dripping from the ceiling. Include a vent hole to allow for better circulation.

Also on the scene was Mac King, fresh from the farmer‘s market, a bag of produce in his arms. Quickly he sized up the situation, dropped the sack, and offered an immediate solution. An expert angler, the magician cast his hand into the bowl and with great finesse, flipped one of its orange occupants into his mouth.

“Now,” he mumbled around the squirming wet shape, “since you both claim this finny friend, I‘ll bite him in two and each of you can have half.”

“No!,” shouted Kelly. “Let Clay have him. Really! It‘s okay.”

Mac smiled, chewed, and swallowed. “Better luck next time Clay. Your fish is safe in the bowl, Kelly.”

And amazingly, he was. What was Mac‘s secret?

Use your mouse to highlight the hidden text below and reveal the answer

Solution: The kids were so distracted by their argument, they didn‘t notice Mac palm a small piece of raw carrot from his grocery sack. When he stuck his hand in the bowl, he only pretended to pluck out a fish, mouthing the carrot instead. Taking a page from King Solomon‘s book, Mac knew that the true owner of the fish would rather it live with a stranger than be harmed.

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.

Watch the trick in action:

See how it’s done:

Click here to see more Magic in a Minute videos and comic strips. Or visit www.magicinaminute.com for more fun stuff.