I have found an activity for my preschoolers that has literally filled hours of attention. My friend Tracie introduced us to making toys from reclycled cereal boxes, bottle caps and egg cartons. With a few extra binding and decorating supplies such as masking tape, fasteners, crayons and markers, my kids have turned our garbage into an impressive toyland village.
Inside the toy trash town we have two houses, a school, a fire department, a swimming pool, a golf cart, a bus and lots of little people. Maddi has found great gusto to ahere all her pieces together with tape. I think her little Polly Pocket House made out of a Corn Flakes box is stronger than our own home.
Jordan uses the golf cart, assembled out of an egg carton, q-tips and four plastic water-bottle cap wheels as a dual space ship for his Anakin Skywalker Star Wars figurine. I guess one never knows when you will need a golf cart in outer space.
I love the time it occupies. I love the creativity it heartens. I love the team work it cheers.
And I love how something simple can be more alluring than an Ipod or video game or mommy's cell phone.
Most of all I love to watch them using their imaginations. It reminds me of the confidence found in designing, inventing, crafting a piece of us into something we can call our own.
