Making Something from Nothing

What a thought! When I was young we often collected scraps of things to add to our play...fabric, parts off an old combine, retired keys and even an enormous zucchini that I fondly remember as a bench in the pup-tent.

As children of a farming family, we were always outside and had very few limits to where we could create something fun...although our dad did sit us all down one mealtime and stated that we could keep four of our eleven forts...

Hardest decision ever...

Oh yes, my siblings and I made the very best of things when we were bored and this is something that I work at creating with Purely Play's programs because I see the value in it. I see it right after children tell me, "I am bored" and I see it in our most frequently visited outdoor play spaces.

The wondrous creativity of the human mind and especially in the Early Childhood phase - ages 0 to 5 years - can really take us places now and in the future.

One of the most astounding benefits to my having created an indoor classroom in my own home came to me the other night. For years I have coveted a project - the Gnome Treehouse. Now this is something that the hippest of classrooms may have in it but I wanted to build it. I collect discarded construction materials all the time and I did have all the ingredients...

 ...yes this is me having fun on the weekend...

So I tried a rough draft while I was bored one night.

The children got right into it.

And did you know that these Barbie dishes are from the 1990s?!

I am still at this type of creativty even now in my fifties... wow.

What do like to do when you are bored?

What about your child(ren)?