Uncle Mike and his Cardboard Box Skills

Poppet, Little and Monkey in the car

Uncle Mike has previously demonstrated his prowess with a cardboard box, having pimped their cardboard box car with some duct tape, and adding a door and a steering wheel. Hours of fun!

His next feat was a cardboard box playhouse. We have lots of cardboard boxes just now as our new kitchen is being fitted (!). I was clearly floundering attempting to make a house out of them so Uncle Mike took a break from his kitchen fitting to do some playhouse building.

The girls were beyond excited with their house (as I think Poppet's facial expression clearly captures). Little spends her time going in, and out, and in again - she loves the door. Poppet asked "Tan you put a toilet in it?" which I laughed at at the time but later realised her request was a serious one when she had a wee accident in the house. Ooops!

Poppet going to sleep in her house

Poppet: 3 yrs

Little: 16 mos

Aunty Anna's Toilet Tube Nativity Scene

Going to squeeze this final Christmassy post in as Aunty Anna & Poppet's amazing Nativity scene couldn't go unmentioned!

I was glad to finally have a use for our large collection of empty toilet tubes! Aunty Anna cleverly rounded and then stapled the tops of the tubes to create the nativity characters. A cream circle was then stuck on for a face to which Poppet added details such as hair and facial features, using her Usborne touchy-feely Nativity book for guidance.

Drawing on Mary's hair

The craft box was then raided to clothe all the main figures, with outfits made from paper, felt, fabric, elastic bands, ribbons, paper doillies, lollipop sticks, goggly eyes and glitter. They did this over two days and Poppet had a lot of fun making them.

Very intensely showing off a shepherd, clothed with felt, ribbon and an elastic band.

Inside the stable

Aunty Anna brought with her a cardboard box that she had turned into a stable for her classroom. Little promptly crawled inside it and surprisingly fitted! One of our walnut babies from the Christmas tree became baby Jesus. We added animals from our toy animal collection (queue much debate as to whether there should be pigs in there or not). I strung a little set of battery operated fairy lights inside the stable, and we put a star Christmas tree decoration on the top. Aunty Anna made a little manger from a toilet roll tube.

The Magi, with lollipop stick arms

Poppet clutching Mary, a Magi & Joseph

Playing with the Nativity scene

 

Poppet loved playing with it; she would get Mary to ride the donkey, sing lullabies and carols to baby Jesus (or sometimes the walnut baby was named after her new baby cousin), and fly the angel around. When she asked us what noise a donkey makes, we said 'heeee-hawww!', and when she asked us what noise Mary makes, we said 'I'm having a baby!' So her nativity play was punctuated with 'heee-hawww' & 'I'm having a baby!'. It was very cute! 

Poppet's favourite, the Angel, with paper doily wings.

We have packed it all away to bring out next Christmas, and hopefully many Christmases to come! Thank you Aunty Anna!

Poppet: 3 yrs

Little : 1 yr 3mos