Junk City

Hi all! It's that crazy time of year again, when it seems as though time is in short supply. I apologise for my neglect, I am doing my best to juggle all of my responsibilities but with many things demanding my attention the blog, sadly, has to be shelved sometimes.
On to more important stuff...PLAYTIME!
I was sooooo tired the other day and I was struggling to think of an activity for Eden which required minimal set-up but which would absorb her for a while (and give me a rest!). My solution was to set up a junk modelling city for and with her.
I made up some 'roads' on a rug using masking tape (easy peasy to remove), and we put boxes and containers all over the place to act as various buildings. Add some dolls and cars and voila! You have a city!

Eden particularly liked building 'sky-skippers' (skyscrapers) by stacking some of the boxes/containers on top of each other! Even though she played with it for a while, I did not get the rest I had hoped for. She made up all sorts of scenarios which I had to participate in: a fairy hurt herself and had to go to hospital - and I was the ambulance driver; dolly went to the pools but forgot her towel, so her mummy (me) had to drive home and get it.
Rest or no rest, I enjoyed listening to the stories she came up with. So many of them mimicked things that she hears/sees often, like when the fairies had to go to playgroup or when the cars drove to 'Ma and Pa's house' (her grandparents). It's true what they say, children are sponges - they absorb everything!
The only downside to this activity is that you need a LOT of boxes to make it work. I have a big nappy box which I keep old boxes, etc in, and we used it all. And we needed more! Next time I think I'll raid my kitchen cupboards for containers, plastic cups, empty canisters, etc, and see what she comes up with.