When I was a little girl, I desperately wanted to be a ballerina. And a jeweler. And a painter.
It was a lot of future careers for one very small person, so my mom did the sensible thing and let me try everything out, but on a very small scale, so that she could see whether it was a real interest or just a passing fancy.
And she’s not the only mom who has taken the “see what sticks” approach to parenting.
After all, kids are easily distracted, with lots of time to change their opinions and their hobbies. You want to give them every opportunity, as we saw with this dad indulging his daughter’s passion for baby dolls.
Still, you want to find a way to do it without breaking the bank.
Fortunately, the world is full of creative parents with creative solutions to every single one of life’s little quandaries.
One that’s been circulating on the internet for a few years, for example, is: What should I do when my child demands tap shoes that they might not use?
Scroll through the gallery below to find the genius answer!
If you or someone you know is a dancer, you’re probably familiar with these flexible black dance shoes.
Depending on how the dancer steps, they make different tapping noises on the floor or stage, adding extra rhythm to the dance performance.
It’s a great hobby that lots of kids love, but tap shoes tend to run between $12 and $30, so it’s not a bad idea to test the waters first.
With that in mind, creative parents all over the internet came up with a brilliant solution that does thrifty souls proud.
You might even call it “penny-pinching.”
And yes, this project does involve literally pinching pennies, or at least pulling them out of your loose change jar.
The project is as simple as it is elegant: just a glue a few pennies to the bottom of a shoe and, voilà, tap shoes!
It’s the perfect way to give your kiddo the opportunity to try out tap, or to satisfy the broken heart of a younger sibling who’s not old enough for classes yet.
And, bonus, you’ll always hear them toddling your way.
Most versions of this project use between five and nine ordinary pennies to get the job done.
Cluster about four pennies near the toe of the shoe, and about five at the heel, adjusting as needed for size.
Glue them into place, and flush against the sole of the shoe.
You can use any kind of shoe for this, though we recommend beat-up kicks that were on their way out anyway.
If you use hot glue to put the pennies on, you should be able to salvage the shoes afterward anyway, since hardened hot glue parts pretty cleanly from rubber.
And if at the end of the experiment you still have a future tap star on your hands, it might just be time to make the upgrade!
If you love this adorable craft project for the future twinkle-toes of the world, make sure to SHARE on Facebook!
