I’ve been developing a personal philosophy (attitude!) about toys, especially as the kids in my life grow older. We have way too many toys in our closets and I like them handmade! One of the reasons I decided to make a book like CRAFTING FUN was to remind myself and hopefully many kids and parents out in the world that having fun is often about being resourceful, using what you have on hand as well as significant dose of imagination to have a good time.
I was a horse crazy girl when I was eight but the best I could do for a horse was to grab a stick and ride across the fields— imagination fueling my ride. My sisters and I did this for hours. Cantering , cantering, cantering. We have our own cantering filly of a girl now, jumping over broomsticks in our small living room, cantering across the lawn in the country, longing to be on the horse that is flying her towards freedom. Imaginative play is universal and I love to see it.
That said, this whole blog entry was inspired by a fan of CRAFTING FUN who made a little parachute from the book and watched it float down slowly from a third floor balcony with her children. A simple and sweet toy, made with a few basic materials. This was dropped from a 3rd floor balcony but a tree branch, or a SAFE staircase works well too. This is a good opportunity to talk about the concept of wind with young children. We can’t see the wind unless it rattles a leaf, or blows in our face. We can hear the wind too. This is sure to inspire artistic, poetic, and sensible discussions among young kids. For the older scientific kids introduce the concept of wind patterns, weather systems, and gravity. A kite project is in order...
Here’s a link to this adorable blog
http://ouryellowhouse.typepad.com/. Thank you for shooting the project. It’s great. P.S. I love the knitted spats you made in your Etsy store. I almost forgot about spats. I was in the marching band and wore white spats. Very cool.