Building with Kids

Summer days are great for playing in the park, walks and bicycle rides. But for those occasional rainy days, a new activity is needed.

I love open-ended play that building blocks bring. But when that's all the kids have been playing with, they need something new.

One of my favorite alternatives to building blocks is building with gum drops and toothpicks. No matter what the age range, everyone can jump in. Mom's and Dad's contributions are welcome too.

I got my supplies at a dollar store. A box of 1,500 toothpicks (enough for the kids and for the kitchen) and a bag of gum drops or spice drops were $1.00 each and supplied plenty of materials.

I start the session with a challenge. I make it easy enough for the youngest in the group. Some suggestions are

• Can you make a square?
• Can you make a triangle?
• etc.

The next step is to expand and challenge the kids. Can you turn a square into a house? Or a cat? What about a horse? Mom and Dad can really be creative here. I recently built a soccer ball when my seven year old challenged me.

What are you waiting for? Get out the toothpicks and gum drops! Have fun.