Junk Modelling Station

Eve's latest craze is junk modelling. I am glad as for a long time I have felt mildly guilty that we don't junk model enough. Suddenly she has begun to make very creative things from paper and card. Above are shoes made from a foam camping mat, card and sellotape! Faith's have worn through she has run around in them so much this afternoon!

I was beginning to tire however of all the associated detritus being scattered across my living room floor, and me being the main person to actually tidy any of it away despite asking. So... I went back to my Montessori roots and thought about how to set it up so it was manageable for Eve and less annoying for me! And I came up with a 'junk modelling station' on the outside table that is under a covered area. It consists of a laundry basket (the red one under the table) with scrap materials in , a red wooden tray to corral all finished and in progress models in, a bag for rubbish (the green one) to be sorted for waste and recycling, and little bins with scissors, tape, stapler etc in ready for use. With a very small amount of training she will be using this with minimal distress to me!

I find it fascinating to watch her create and to see where the seeds of her ideas have come from. I made the body and string legs and arms of this doll on Thursday, then Eve made all the clothes for it. She watched me make it very carefully and since then has experimented with using string and knotting it to create hinges and fix things together.

I am planning to add to the materials she has once our community arts recycling facility re-opens at the end of Summer.