Book and Activity!
This guest post is from Amy from Media Macaroni, Amy’s blog is devoted to all things kids media and her love of books and toys are evident! I love how they used a book as a leap pad for play and more learning! Enjoy!
The book that I can’t help but think about constantly as I’m at toy store after toy store buying presents is David Shannon’s Too Many Toys
In Too Many Toys, little Spencer has way too many toys, a sight all too familiar. The toys cover the floors and spill down the hallway. They cover the yard and the bathroom. But, Spencer’s toys were becoming a household hazard. Spencer’s mom (perhaps one of the most relatable moms in a picture book ever) finally loses it when she trips on railroad tracks while carrying a load of laundry. She haggles, bribes, coaxes, and threatens Spencer to start getting rid of toys. Spencer’s mom is victorious when there’s a giant box full of toys to be banished, but when she returns from a tea break, she discovers the toys emptied all over the hall. There’s Spencer, astronaut helmet on, sitting in his new cardboard rocket. Forget all the toys – the box is the best toy EVER!
We took this to heart one day, and built our own rocket out of a gigantic cardboard box. To be authentic to the book, we taped pencils and cardboard tubes to the outside, and drew a nice assortment of planets and blinking lights. One of my favorite features was the control panel that we made on the inside. We drew a numbered keypad beside a list of planets and numbered codes. All you had to do is punch in a three-digit number and you were transported to that planet.
No wonder the cardboard box has been inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame . It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend a morning.
Cathy says
We LOVE cardboard boxes here. Our all time favourite it turning them into houses http://nurturestore.co.uk/make-a-cardboard-box-house I think once they see your post they’re going to want a rocket too!
Aimee says
Cute book! I’ll have to look for that one. Be a good way to get the kids involved too in donating some unused toys to a Charity.
georgine says
My daughter (3), Loves a huge cardboard box filled with packing peanuts. She’ll play forever! Cute photos!!!
Beverly says
love this book!
Jen says
I love the author David Shannon, but haven’t read this book yet. I can sooo relate- we have way too many toys and they are scattered in every room in the house!!
Also, love cardboard boxes for play and for making homemade puppet theatres.
Jen
Creative and Curious Kids!
http://raisingcreativeandcuriouskids.blogspot.com
Lisa says
I can’t wait to go find this book. We just went on a toy clearing spree this morning. I found a mom through freecyle with the same age kids as me and she needs some things for Christmas. Hip Hip Hooray, our toys are going away!!!!
Jenny says
oh, my sons love this book
Almost Unschoolers says
This is too true! We built a cardboard submarine in the summer, that was more fun than anything – but really, even just a plain old box in the hands of a child is pure joy personified. Thanks for the book recommendation – I can’t wait to check it out.
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