PVC Kids Growth Chart Idea



height-chart

PVC Kids Growth Chart Idea

Keeping children's height charts has long been a treasured family tradition. Surprisingly though, there has never been a great way of documenting and keeping it. You've probably seen on TV or in movies where parents will mark their kids' heights against a door frame in the house. That's very accessible and sweet, but what happens when it's time to move? And who really wants to write all over their door frames anyway?

Another alternative, which my parents used till I outgrew it, is a folding paper height chart (the kind that come in baby books). This is easy to transport in a move, but something about a folding piece of paper loses the nostalgia of a classic height chart. I was thinking about this the other day when I came up with a great idea that allows you to have a physical representation of your children's growth that is easy to take along through moves.

The answer? PVC! PVC pipe is cheap, sturdy, and can be decorated and marked on to showcase your family's unique history and character.

Want to make your own? Choose a piece of PVC pipe that is sturdy enough to stand on its own. I recommend 3" or 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe. You can find this at any home improvement store or order it online. Give your kids some room to grow and have the piece stand at least 6 or 7 feet tall. That way the chart can follow them all the way to their full height!

You can decorate the PVC however you wish to reflect your family or children. If you want you can mark the pipe with foot and inch measurements. Just lay a tape measure out beside the pipe and mark with a permanent marker. When it's time to measure your little one, stand the pipe up on a flat surface and have the child stand with her back to the pipe. Mark where the top of her head falls and write her name and the date next to it. That's it!

What a fantastic family keepsake! If you wanted, you could do one chart for each child and pass it along to them for their own children. How fun to be able to track their child's growth alongside their own!

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