Toy Iron

Here's a simple toy iron that I made with some wood scraps and an old spool:

If you make one, be sure that the handle lines up with the back of the iron so that it can stand up like this:

And countersink the hardware and sand the bottom, as it may be rubbed vigorously all over your house!

I liked how it looked with one spool and no hardware showing on the top, so I had to reinforce the handle in order to keep it securely attached.  I drilled small holes into the base, handle and spool, pegged it with four little pieces of toothpicks and then glued it all together.  It is very sturdy.

Is this unnecessarily complicated?  Yes.  It could have been avoided if the iron was a little bigger and had two spools holding the handle (with enough room between them for a small hand), but I loved the simple look of this little toy, and wanted to hide the connections.  Here's an "x-ray" of my handle attachment:

We keep it in our play kitchen, and it keeps the capes smooth and stylish and ready for action.

I made this a couple of years ago, and Diego helped me with the sawing and sanding.  These little toys we've made together hold so many sweet memories for me.

Clock

Here's a clock that Diego and I made a few years ago, when he first started asking me about time:

I made the dots and attached the popsicle sticks for him, and then we did the rest together.  I did make a tiny pilot hole before installing the popsicle sticks, and the screw is fairly tight so that the hands can be spun around easily, but still hold their positions. Our clock is mostly used in imaginative ways, with occasional counting and time-learning play. 

Made from scrap wood, popsicle sticks, tiny wood screw, felt-tipped pens.

Pet Gorilla

This toy has been in our house since Diego was a baby.  We call it the pet gorilla.

It's just a picture of a baby gorilla that I downloaded, printed, cut out and stuck in an old candy box.  Occasionally, we "feed" it some fresh bamboo, which adds to the effect.

Julio is fascinated.

He stares at it for a while, then asks for the box to be opened.  He takes out and examines the bamboo and the picture.  He says, "Gorilla!"

The other boys still occasionally play with it, but I remember that when they were his age, they were just as intrigued by it as Julio is now.

p.s.

I bought this great mailbox at a yard sale last year.  (Unfortunately, it was my own typical yard sale, where my neighbors and I swap our cool stuff and don't actually make room in our closets.)

Don't you want to get a letter from this box?  It looked perfect for some future castle, playhouse or tree fort, but I ended up hanging it on the wall in the play area of our living room.

Sometimes months go by without a delivery.  Other times, there is new mail every day.  I got a lovely letter this morning:

A prompt reply is clearly expected.  I'll have to write back tonight!

Toy Bed

Here's a little toy bed that I made for the boys last winter: 

It was modeled after their bed, and was very simple to make using some wood scraps that I had around the house.  I made a little pocket on the headboard out of the same fabric that I had already used to make a pajama pocket for the boys' bed.  My favorite thing about it is that I had a bag that their sheets came in that I used to cover the mattress, so it really matches their bed.

My other favorite thing about the toy bed is how much time Julio has spent trying to figure out how to lie down on it.

Once he gets into this position, he just stays there and plays with the pajama pocket.

Superhero Paperdolls

Ruben led me into this project gradually.  For weeks, he'd been asking me (or Joe, or Diego, or anyone willing) to draw superheroes for him.  Then he wanted them cut out.  Then he wanted accessories.  Then he wanted the arms or legs in different positions.  They would get torn.  He would cry.  Something had to be done.

Here's the design that I came up with (there is a printable version for you at the end of the post):

Print the template on light cardboard or print on regular paper and glue it to cardstock or light cardboard.  (The cardboard we used was about the thickness of a cereal box.)  Get out the art supplies and turn it into your child's fantasy super-hero!  Older kids can color, collage and add details to the figure.  Younger kids can dictate what they want.  Remember to use only flat collage materials if you plan to laminate.

You can have them laminated, or you can carefully coat both sides with clear packing tape, then trim off the excess.  (Try it on a test piece first if it is your first time doing this!)

Make sure the thumbs are facing the right way.  Poke the brads through the laminated holes and fold them over on the back to tuck in the sharp ends.  Use a hard surface to press them flat.

If your kids can draw their own outlines for their superheroes, I think these will turn out even better!  I am hoping we can try that next.

Click on the picture below to get a printable version:

 

** added 5/6/12**  click here for some other fun ideas for your superhero paperdolls!

Welcome to Our Dollhouse (part 1)

Home, sweet home.  It's cluttered and dusty, and torn apart daily by a one-year-old baby, but it's all paid off, and we love it.

Here I am kicking back in one of my favorite rooms:

For a nice addition to your toy house, take a picture of some artwork that is on the wall in your real house.  Then print it out, but reduce the size so that it prints at about one or two inches high.  Frame it and hang it!

We used wooden coffee stirrers that I cut with a sharp knife.  My son colored them brown and glued them directly onto the picture.


Some other ideas are:

Have your child draw or paint the artwork, then photograph it and reduce the size.

"Laminate" it with clear packing tape before framing, so it looks like it's behind glass.

Make miniatures of your favorite books by photographing the covers and folding them around several tiny sheets of paper.

Print out a tiny version of your favorite family portrait.

Use silver paint or pens or glitter glue on the frames.

Take a "family portrait" of the dolls and frame that.

If you don't have a printer, use a beautiful postage stamp!


  (The picture shown above is a print that I love of a beautiful papercut by Elsita.  She sells them here.)

Cat's Cradle

Did you play string games when you were a child?  My mother taught me how to play Cat's Cradle when I was about 5 years old, and I'm now having a great time playing it with my own son.  It is such a quick and portable game that we've been playing it wherever we go.

I had to look up the history of Cat's Cradle, and was surprised to find that this clever game is played by children EVERYWHERE.  Its origin is unknown and it has been found in wildly diverse indigenous cultures from the Arctic to Europe to Indonesia.  It is probably one of the oldest games in the world.


Instructions:

1.  Buy a pie from a nice bakery that ties string around their pie boxes.

2.  Carefully untie string, eat pie, reserve string.

3.  Cut a piece of string that is about 5' long.

4.  Tie the two ends tightly with a square or granny knot and trim extra string.

5.   Learn to play, or if you already know how, teach someone!


You can find plenty of instructional photos and videos online, but I recommend carrying your string around and asking people if they know how to play any string games.

Tiny bow & arrow

Here is a beautiful little toy that you can make out of things that you probably already have in your house:

We have given these as birthday gifts a few times, and they work very well for 4 to 6 year olds.  We put them in a special pouch with 6 arrows, and we use fine point pens to decorate the bow with the child's name.  They require some practice and fine motor coordination.  Contrary to what you saw in that last menacing picture, in our house there is a no-shooting-in-the-direction-of-people-or-pets rule.  Take care, they can shoot a surprising 15-20 feet!

Best bath toys ever

I was planning to make a little boat for the boys out of old wine corks, but just getting the corks out of the kitchen junk drawer was enough.  Forty of these in the bath tub is riotous fun for a three year old.

Can any of you connoisseurs spot the odd duck?