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via RSSWe’ve started rotating major toys through the living room about every week. I’ve never managed any kind of toy rotation, so It’s been pretty cool. Also, as I allow my living room to be devistated by blocks, it’s also relatively easy to clean up, unlike when I was trying to keep the living room clean. The blocks all get tossed into the same bin, but if there is ‘nothing’ in the living room, it fills up with stuff from all over that takes much longer to clean up. So by embracing the disaster, I have overcome it? It’s working pretty well so far.
Two weeks ago we built a puppet theatre out of 3/8″ dowels, rubber bands, 3-4yds of sari fabric and an old curtain. It was pretty cool! Although shortly after it was built Rebecca declared that it was actually a ballet stage, and showed how the curtain slid back for the show, proceeding to our ‘outermission’ and ‘intermission’ entertainment. ‘outermission’ being the show part of course!
It was a really awesome structure for minimal construction time, I think it took about 10 minutes, and it is now folded up and broken back down into six dowels for our next project. Flimsy yes, but it lasted two vigorous weeks, bending but not breaking. Pretty cool. The bookcases behind are sort of what holds the whole thing up. I made the face frame out of four dowels, two uprights and a cross piece at the top and one across the middle for the curtain. Then from each of the two top corners I attached another dowel, going out and back toward the book cases, to end tucked under a foot of books on a conveniently located shelf. The roof is tucked into a tent shape from the top shelf of the book shelf, and draped over the dowel structure. I was a little worried that someone would pull a shelf of books down on their head, but nothing shifted the whole week, so I guess it was okay!
The second week we added a table and cash register, plastic shopping basket, and put out the bins that our play food gets stored in on top of some cardboard boxes we keep for playing. Practically instant Farmer’s Market/Grocery Store.
Now I’m wanting to get more 1/2″ to 3/4″ dowels for more temporary play building construction. Dowels + rubber bands + light drapey cloth = lots of fun! And as a bonus it doesn’t involve all the chairs in the house being commissioned for forts and us eating dinner sitting on the floor…
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Add Yours →Love it! (and wish I had that many bookshelves!) I was just looking at tutorials for “fort kits” to give kids as gifts (a few sheets with ties at the corners, rope, etc.) but dowels would be a great addition!
Well, we actually have no wall space in our house that is *not* covered with either bookshelves or pictures, bookshelves where they will fit… That’s what comes of living in a ~700sqft place… So maybe don’t wish too hard? 🙂 Yes, dowels are great! I thought the tent blanket in Weekend Sewing was pretty fun.
This is really cool – and so versatile!
I just started rotating major toys, too, and I’m happy with the results.
I have been wishing that I was rotating toys for at least as long as Rebecca has been alive, good that we are both finally making progress!
wonderful! and how’s your puppet collection?
lvoe, jn
For all that we had a puppet theater, Rebecca declared it a ballet stage after it was built, I think Penelope is more interested in puppets than Rebecca!
I’ve always loved watching you teach your daughter to be an artist with all the creative ideas you have. Now I see you teaching her how to set up her booth for shows. Amazing.
Thanks Edytheanne, I never thought of it as a show booth, although we did do that last summer, she had a corner of her grandpa’s booth at his weekly craft fair while we were visiting, which I know I would have killed for, at least as an older child!