{Play} Tinkerlab Challenge #9 | Egg Carton Boat
April 8, 2012 in All Posts, Play, Toddler Activities
It’s that time again. Time to raid your recycling bin and get busy creating for Tinkerlab’s Creative Challenge #9:
Egg Cartons
For the last challenge, we had a lot of fun making a Paper Bag Fan and I knew we’d have fun trying to create something out of an egg carton.
The difference this time was that I didn’t supply Jane with any materials - except the carton. I let her decide what to do with it and just followed her lead. To watch her build something out of nothing just with a little imagination and creativity was awesome. I love that she knows how good it feels to create something original from start to finish. (One of my favorite highs in life).
First, she requested that I cut the lid and flap off. I willingly complied and waited for my next instruction. “I need crayons.” She tried coloring the box, but wasn’t impressed with how it turned out.
Then she started sticking them in the holes of the protruding dividers.
But she quickly learned that the crayons weren’t secure enough because they were too big. We needed something skinnier. She raided a few kitchen drawers and came out with bamboo skewers.
“Here it goes!”
It didn’t go - since the skewers fell out of the bottom. She put the lid underneath and achieved success.
For the sail, she tried using paper.
Didn’t exactly fit - and made a better hat. “I know!” She ran off and found the pipe cleaners.
Seriously ingenious. Would not have thought of that. At. All.
The proud inventor admiring her masterpiece:
Have you made anything out of your egg cartons recently? Share them in the linky below! And be sure to check out the entries by these amazing bloggers: Tinkerlab, Glittering Muffins, Inspiration Laboratories, Kitchen Counter Chronicles, Living At The Whiteheads Zoo, Make, Do & Friend, Mama Mia’s heart2heart, Messy Kids, NurtureStore, PlayDrMom, Rainy Day Mum, Red Ted Art, Sun Hats & Wellie Boots, Teach Preschool, The Chocolate Muffin Tree , The Educators’ Spin On It , The Golden Gleam, The Imagination Tree, Toddler Approved, Reading Confetti, Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers, HappyLittleMesses, RainbowsWithinReach, Mommy Labs, Child Central Station, Green Owl Art, Reusecrafts, Experimenting-Mom, Duck Duck Octopus, PaintCutPaste, Train Up a Child, Growing A Jeweled Rose , Coffee Cups and Crayons, Ready. Set. Read!, Scribble Doodle and Draw, Carrots Are Orange, JDaniel4’s Mom, Quirky Momma, A Mom With A Lesson Plan, Good Long Road, Two2Read
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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.
What a beautiful learning experience for her. I love how you captured each step in her experiment.
That ship is awesome!!!! I’ve never seen one of those done before!
I’m blown away by the sail! Gosh, loved this - her thought process, how she brought it all together and even the final outcome. Ah, these creative adventures of the little ones are proof enough that we adults should step back and work on our own ideas rather than telling them what to do all the time!
God bless her…
Thank you, Chrissy, for giving this lovely, creative opportunity to your beautiful daughter
What a fun idea!!! I love watching how she created this. Created pictures too!
Me, too! Thanks
That sail is awesome! I love reading all the Creative Challenge posts to not just see what everyone comes up with, but also to see the kids’ creative process. Fantastic!
I know - kind of mindblowing to be let into their creative process! I loved watching everything unfold and it was a nice feeling to see her proud of what she made on her own. Thanks for stopping by!
i love this boat! how inventive and cute!
I never would have thought “A-ha! Pipecleaners will do the job!” Love those little minds
I love the modern art feel of the sails. This is wonderful!
You’re totally right - it is kind of modern art-y, isn’t it? It’ll make a good installation on our mantel
This is great (they weren’t the same idea although both transport themed) - J has also been getting out pipecleaners this week as well but didn’t want to use them in his train.
I totally thought you did a boat, too, because of the drying out comment
I forgot to add in the post that Jane totally took it in the bath the second she was done admiring it. I was amazed at how long those egg cartons float before they start disintegrating!
This is a perfect example of why the process is so important! She got the opportunity to explore and create all on her own. Nicely done!
Yep, that’s one of the reasons I love these challenges because they get to stare at the chosen object blankly and then wait for that spark! Then we get to sit back and watch the excitement build as the project gets rolling
What a creative little girl you have. How fun!
She had a blast! Thanks for stopping by, Allison
Oh my, so much egg carton play fun! And I love the final boat”. Too cute.
Maggy
It totally worked in the water, too! Never would have thought to put an egg carton in the water - it lasts a miraculously long time.
This is wonderful! So fun to watch Jane’s progress and interaction with the different materials, and to see what she finally came up with. Ingenious is right!
That’s one of the reasons I love these challenges! Thanks so much for the inspiration and creativity prompts