Frugal Friday: Creative Kids

Earlier this week I shared this idea on Works-For-Me Wednesday. It was about my daughter playing with paper dolls. I have another old-fashioned idea for kids.

We checked out a book from the library called Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran. This very sweet book is about a group of children who set up their own imaginary land in an empty lot. I read this to my kids, hoping that they would do something similar, but I didn't push it. I kind of sat back and waited to see what they would do. It took a few months, but last fall they made up their own “town” with the kids next door, called “Monkey Town.” They use found objects to create their homes. They have a mayor monkey and a rich monkey, and whatever else they think a town needs. Monkey Town changes and evolves from time to time, and is often abandoned for long periods, but they come back to it. I love seeing them creating and being silly.

Here are some pictures of their “play houses.” I was asked to take pictures, but it was already almost dark. Walter A. Monky is the rich monkey.

And here is Walter's backyard. The round object surrounded by rocks is a swimming pool.