Out Of The Box

Out Of The Box

Juvenile nonfiction
It looked like the babysitting gig from Hades. Two sets of
parents were enjoying homecoming, reliving the best years of their
lives. Their two sets of kids were bored, tired, sunburned, and not
at all pleased at the prospect of being left with a stranger so their
moms and dads could go out for adults only drinks and dinner. But I
had a secret weapon--an empty washing machine box. By the time the
adults returned the kids were putting the final touches on a home for
their stuffed animals.
Even in today's world, where electronics and other fancy play
things abound, good old fashioned empty boxes can still bring out the
creativity in kids. If mine were still young I'd invest in a copy of
Emma Westing's Out Of The Box. It contains 25 engineering projects
based on common household cardboard:
*Toilet paper tubes turn into colorful owls;
*A ring toss game and a feed the monsters board would be perfect for a
back yard carnival;
*A cardboard theater with a cast of cardboard characters can tempt
kids to bring favorite stories to life...
My favorite is the dome den big enough to hold a small child.
It can become a space base, a tortoise, a woodland hide out, or an
igloo. Battery powered fairy lights can add enchantment.
Materials are affordable. Step by step instructions seem quite
manageable. Kids are urged to add their own creative touches. If you
have a child or grand in your life or a youth group to plan activities
for you'll find Out Of The Box to be a prudent purchase.
On a purrrsonal note, with the exceptions of my bad conference news
and a nasty little slush storm on Thursday my week was really good.
With longer days and moderating temperatures spring seems to be on the
way.
Eugene is at camp. So it's me and Tobago at home. She is such a
sweet girl. She knows how to talk (meow) on the phone. She also
knows how to get into lots of stuff. And she gets very sneaky when
she plays off with something I want to be paws off. Lucky for her she
is adorable--especially when she flops down next to me and lets me pet
her belly.
A great big shout out goes out to my baby girl Tobago with fond
memories of precious Joey.
jules hathaway


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