The wooden firehouse and doll house haven’t been played with in a while. But, on a summer morning when the “What should I do?”s started, these toys were reincarnated.
1. With Evan all into the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory book, then the play, and now the book The Candymakers
2. Empty out the dollhouse, looking for things that might be able to be repurposed as you do.
3. Think creatively, and don’t squelch any ideas.
(I love his pipe cleaner pipes and the baby toy on top that is a gum ball machine maker.)
4. Encourage teamwork. Drew made the truck garage for Sweet’s Candy Factory. Ashlyn turned the dollhouse into the candy store where Drew would deliver the goods.
5. Be warned that little trouble makers may not understand the repurposing and interfere a bit much to the creative thinkers’ dismay.
6. As with other projects, spend all morning setting it up and once it’s complete, the fun is over. No real playing going on after that. But, who cares. I remember getting more excited about dressing my Barbies than playing with them.
7. Surrender your living space to giant repurposed creations that have to remain out for way longer than you’d like them to—or until you can come up with something else you can repurpose them for…and maybe a different place to do it.
we ♥ summer
You will have to share the photos of this project with their teachers and school librarian next year. :)
My oldest recently read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and then got to watch the movie on video. AND he read Candymakers this past year…loved it!…and is rereading it right now. :)
Love that creative and imaginative play! Love it!
On a totally separate note, did I see painted floors in your house? I SO want to paint our kitchen floor but I’m chicken. So, fill me in on your floors.