Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Cardboard Stove for Creative Play




Children love pretend play; and they like to do what mommy or daddy is doing. My grandson always wanted to cook and he loved playing with play dough, so my daughter made this pretend stove using a small box, some red paper, two jar tops, some string and a marker. He would make play dough food creations and cook them on the top or put them in the oven. She poked a hole through the jar top to push the string through so the knobs even turn. This didn't cost anything and gave him weeks of fun.

We make a similar thing at school by using a pizza box covered in foil and pretending it is a pizza oven. We attach a cardboard circle to a paint stir stick for the paddle they use to get the pizza in and out of the oven. You can add more props, by making pretend pizza out of felt, dough cheese, sausage, mushrooms, any toppings you like. I put the play dough recipe we use at school on an earlier post. This is a great way to reuse things that would end up being recycled or in the garbage.

Everyone knows kids love boxes, they make great pretend spaces; with just a little embellishment, they can even add more excitement to their play.

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