I have to admit that the toys stacked up a bit after the holidays, but we try hard to limit my son’s gear so that our small house stays uncluttered and his imagination remains unfettered.  Here are a few of my favorite images that capture moments of wonder and pretend play. 

Here Roscoe informed me that he was “waiting at the bus stop” while standing in the metal supports for our back porch. 

When you need snow, just raid the bathroom drawer!

Drawing with Daddy on recycled paper is one of our favorite forms of entertainment. 

How do you keep imaginary play alive at your house?  We’d love to hear your stories!

How do you manage to build your child’s relationship with nature?  Do you spend lots of time outside as a family?  Are you brave enough to camp and/or backpack with a young infant or many children?  How do you keep your baby from eating dirt while bonding with the outdoors?  

A beautiful, natural alternative to expensive store-bought mobiles.

Materials needed:

One 18-20″ twig and one 12-14″ twig

1 piece of 30″ long raffia or thin ribbon

4 pieces of 14″ long raffia or thin ribbon

Thin cardboard (from an old cereal box, for example)

Thick paper in complementary colors and/or patterns

5 sparkly buttons (optional)

Scissors

Method:

Five Paper Birds

1. Practice designing a wingless bird body that is about 7″ wide and 2″ tall.  Draw the design onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out to make a template for your birds. 
2. Next make a template for your bird wings by folding a piece of paper in half and cutting one wing that is 5″ long.  A wing should be 2″ wide in the middle and taper to the wing tip.  They will open to create a 10″ set of wings.
3. Cut a 2″ slot in the template bird body and slip the template wings through the slot.  After seeing the assembled bird, make any necessary adjustments to the template.
4. Using the templates, cut out five bird bodies and five wings from thick, colored paper.  Cut slots through each bird body and insert the wings.

Mobile Assembly

1. Tie the 30″ piece of raffia to a bird through the wing slot and string on a sparkly button, if desired.  Then tie the bird to the middle of the short twig, letting the bird dangle about five inches below.  Tie this on to the middle of the longer twig, leaving 8″ between twigs.
2. Tie the remaining pieces of raffia to each bird.  String on a sparkly button if desired.
3. Attach the remaining four birds to the ends of each stick.
4. Hold the mobile up and admire your work!  You may need to make some adjustments to ensure a properly balanced mobile.  The birds should be able to fly around without entangling.  Once you’ve achieved the proper balance, double check to make sure each string and bird is tied on securely.

Tie a loop to the top of the mobile and hang high above the baby’s crib–far from curious, grasping hands.