Skip to main content

Craft Book Review: Creative Play for Your Toddler

I must have seen this craft book, Creative Play for Your Toddler: Steiner Waldorf expertise and toy projects for 2-4s by Christopher Clouder and Janni Nicol on my recommends section on Amazon, though I can't remember exactly. I check out everything through InterLibraryLoan before I buy it, to see if I like it, and I loved this book. I did end up buying it because out of the 20+ projects, I will probably make 15 of them, and I get inspired visually. To have it on my shelf I can reference over and over, is what works for me.
There are sewing, knitting, woodworking, and no-sew projects for any type of crafter. These projects are also gender neutral, a big plus! The book has a lot of information about Waldorf, of which I haven't read yet, but look forward to.

photocredit
I love that all of the projects are very simple, but encourage big imagination, something Waldorf theory holds very highly. (See my Waldorf post here.)
I had wanted to make Lukka a fishing game for awhile since he likes to carry around a big stick and call it his 'fishing rod', perfect timing since this project is in the book!
I sewed up different sized fish according to some scraps I had, stuffed them, and put a magnet near the 'nose' of the fish before sewing them back up. Attach twine to a stick, with a magnet stuck to the end of the twine (I wrapped it up and superglued it) for the pole.
The picture is quite blurry since my Bug never stops moving, but you get the general idea. The fish stay on the ground (a blue blanket or towel would work great for water), and he has to "catch" the fish by aiming the pole around them until one 'clicks' onto his pole.
If you like simple toys, that can be homemade, aestetically pleasing and encourage imagination, check out this book from your local library or ILL. You won't be disappointed!
The next projects I plan on making in the next few months from it are:
*Wind Wands (front cover)
* Soft Doll
*Riding Horse
*Doll's House
What have you been making lately that you're excited about? Seems I've been into toy-making mode for awhile! Posted by Picasa

Comments

StephG said…
Thanks for the review, S! Looks like a great book!
kat ann said…
please post more! i have a 2 year old boy who is very active and curios! it would be such a help to see some of these! thanks for posting the fishing game! thats a great idea.
Beck said…
I must make one of these fishing rods!

Popular posts from this blog

Home School Activities: Board Games We Love

My children have recently become enthralled in the world of board games. I was never a board game player. Sure, I remember long summer hours (days? it seemed like it..) spent around a Monopoly board, but I was never one to suggest to get out the cards, or a game. As my children have grown and they are now able to do activities with me, I started noticing that they really took to puzzles (when done all together) and the one or two board games I happened to have kept in the storage room. They were always asking to play Candy Land and so I figured I should branch off a bit. Over the course of the last year, I have found GREAT games, even ones that I love to play alongside them. The amount of 'teaching' they have gotten through games is jaw-dropping. Counting, team-playing, math related patterning, are just some of the skills I've watched develop. I asked before Christmas on facebook what my friends and their own kids loved and I was thrilled with the response. We have found ov

July Reads

Birch Bay Sunset, rainbow hues July has been hot out here. When you live in the top story of an apartment building, and there's no air conditioning, it can feel just over the needle of uncomfortably warm when the day is above 76 degrees. We've kept blinds shut, windows open, and a fan continually blowing as it's perched in our living room window well. Just about the only thing I feel like doing after a long day is laying on the couch straight in the fan's air circulation path, and read a good book. I had some unique picks this month. * #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso  This book was just plain fun to read. Amoruso developed the iconic ebay store NastyGal way back when vintage selling on ebay was a thing. Now she's a millionaire with a kicking website that she started from scratch and didn't owe a dime to anyone else for. It's a great 200 pager with stories on dumpster diving for daily food, entrepreneurship tips, and being the backwards kid that no one t

Top 10 Books of 2017

early sunset in Ft Langley  I love reading all these "Top 10" lists of favorite books read throughout the year, so I'm adding my two cents.  I'm involved in a Book Club that I love with women from our church, a small group that meets every week and goes through a book every few months, my own list, books I'm reading aloud to the kids and  books I'm reading for educational purposes (think professional development). I took a look at all of those combined and this is what I got, in no particular order:  *  The Problem of God  by Mark Clark - I loved going through this academic apologetic book with my friends from church. It led us to great discussion, and good food for thought. I listen to Clark's sermons every week and so knew I'd probably love his writing style, too. If you have objections to Christianity, or are feeling confused about what to believe, this is a great primer.  * You're Smarter Than You Think  by Dr. Thomas Armstron