A dad built a 7ft flat-pack Trojan horse out of an old Ikea table for an Ancient Greek school project - so big his son could hide inside. Richard Brigg was collared by his son's former teacher who not-so-subtly hinted how a life-sized Trojan Horse would make an excellent learning prop for Year 3 students studying Ancient Greece in the spring term.
The suggestion was made after the success of a giant mummy and sarcophagus Richard made last year for his eight-year-old son Alexander Brigg's Ancient Egypt project. The software engineer built a replica of the horse, used by the Greeks to enter Troy and win the Trojan war, in just one weekend using an old Ikea changing table, foam board and paint.
The 48-year-old looked up cartoon depictions of the infamous horse on March 26th before sketching and painstakingly cutting out, glueing together and painting the 7ft tall structure. Richard even ensured there was a hidey hole inside the wooden beast so kids can clamber up inside and experience what it was like hiding inside before springing out to surprise people.
PTA chair Richard even gave a nod to the prop's Ikea roots by making the structure flat-pack so it can be stored away easily at the school. Richard said: "It's 7ft tall and made out of an old Ikea wooden changing table from when Alexander was a baby that was working its way to the tip.
"The sides and head are made out of foam board. You can cut it out with a knife, glue-gun it together and paint it.
"It can all flat pack so I can fit it in the car and then that just slots on top of the wooden table so it's sturdy with the legs.
"There's a little hatch that pulls out and children can crawl up inside it and hide in there like a proper Trojan horse."
The dad-of-one, who professes not to be a history buff, said he spent a weekend sketching, cutting out, glueing together and painting his ancient masterpiece.
Richard said: "The Year 3 students are learning about Ancient Greece.
"Last year, when my son was in Year 3, I did a sarcophagus and Alexander's teacher said it would be really great to have a Trojan horse to gee the kids up.
"I'm not a history buff, my background is science and engineering, but it's through Alexander that I then started reading up about the Trojan War and the Trojan horse.
"It's a fascinating topic to get stuck into and read about.
"It was built one Saturday night, I started at 3pm and finished glue-gunning at 11pm.
"I spent another eight hours painting on the Sunday and delivered it to the school on the Monday.
"I made it flat pack so I could move it via the car and so the school can store it [easily].
"You can unbolt the legs and flatten it and it slots together with locking wooden tabs - like in wooden kits you can get."
MATERIALS USED
OLD IKEA TABLE - saved from the tip
FOAM BOARD AND PAINT - leftovers from previous craft projects
TOTAL COST = £0
