Saturday, June 14, 2008

Unplugged Project - Plastic!

Hey, I was all about this theme! I'm a re-use fan...we have toilet paper tubes, fabric scraps, tissue paper, you name it. And we also happen to have a LOT of plastic just waiting for a use. We have this drawer in the kitchen jammed so full of "tupperware" that you can barely close it. I've been meaning to clean it out since my sister-in-law spent a good ten minutes up to her elbows searching for the lid to a margarine container. So when I read the Unplugged website on Monday, I found my motivation! I opened the drawer and dumped every last container onto the living room floor.

The end product of my cleaning frenzy was a very well organized space and about 40 random lids...so I sat down in my thinking chair and thought, thought, thought. Well, they look kind of like a pile of money, don't they? I dug up a shoe box, cut a slot in the top, and I had a giant "bank" for E to play with. I even thought up a second project...I punched holes in two larger lids for lacing ribbon, which led to a record breaking THIRD project. The tiny plastic dots that came out of the hole puncher looked like coins too, so I used a baby food container to make a tiny bank to go along with the giant bank. I proudly took a picture, and introduced E to the fun. So can you guess what she LOVED? Yes, the tiny bank. In fact, she would ONLY play with the tiny bank. She had no interest in the big bank or the lacing, though she did play for awhile with the ribbon (the "rescue rope," that is). The only interest she showed in the big bank was when Larry the cat decided to lay in it. Then she cried, "My bank! It's my big bank, Larry! Mommy, tell him get out of my bank!" And it's not because she wanted to play with it, it's because she wanted to sit in it. And P.S. I can't recommend the tiny-dots-bank project without the following warning...you will be finding tiny dots sprinkled around the house for days, if not years.

8 comments:

Gottfredsen said...

Great Idea. I have so many lids around the house and I planned on teaching my youngest about coins. I think that he would love the bank idea, Thanks for it.

morningstar said...

Awesome idea! Great use of lids and good teaching toy. Love your cat!

Heather said...

Very unique idea, I never would have thought of that!

Anonymous said...

I love those ideas! Very original, I am impressed. It is always interesting to see what they play with isn't it? I would have guessed that the big bank would be the winner. At least Larry liked it. (Larry looks exactly like a big tabby tom I once had - Joe).

Anonymous said...

I think your gigantic bank idea is great. Too cute about how she loved the mini one.

Nowheymama said...

What a great idea!

reprehriestless warillever said...

At least Larry liked the big bank...

Lacing cards made from extra lids is a great idea. Although it wasn't a big hit today, it may be worth keeping around for a while.

Dayna said...

my little one loves all things tiny - a small bank would be so much fun! Thanks for the inspiration.

 
Header Image from Bangbouh @ Flickr