Basketful of Fun

I've been wanting to get Miles a toy that would involve plenty of movement and imagination, and had been thinking about a shopping cart and some play food for months.  We have a walk in pantry, which I thought could be fun for him to "put his groceries away" in.

 

I settled on a metal one from Costco ($27 .99 with 30 pcs of food) because it seemed like it could be passed down to a long line of little shoppers.  The plastic ones at Toys R Us ($14.99) looked really cheap, the food boxes were crummy, and it would not have withstood scads of children bashing it into walls and overturning it.  The casters were well-fashioned, but could be replaced if needed,-they're just like real shopping cart wheels, they spin completely around and turn sharply.  (There was a metal cart at Target for $24.99, but it came with no food and the seperately sold food, though wooden, was not fun and was quite pricey).  There are some great companies with wooden food sets, but I'm concerned about the use of wood as well, and many of them are made in China.  At least the wooden food will last through generations-should I decide to expand our collection, I believe I'll go that route.

I didn't like that the cart was made in China (almost all children's toys are), but I sucked it up and decided to try to bring the world back into harmony (!) by recycling the packaging into something fun.  I love this kitchen, but I think it is too much to spend on a toy that may not get much use in a couple of years, plus it just seems "too nice". Here's what came of my kitchen yearning and the leftover box and cardboard bits:

A crafty stove with glittery burners and opening door!  This is all the proof I need that a little gorilla glue and a box holds limitless possibilities.  You can't see the weird brown piece of cheap plastic steak and clump of peas in the pan, but if you could, it would bring back memories!  It is for this reason that I impulsively purchased the plastic blue pan and 6 pcs of plastic food to enhance the cooking experience.  I still have to attach the spinning knobs (Clever use of sports drink lids glued to butterflying brads).

Comments

[wendy]

OH MY GAWD! LOVE THE BARE BUM!!!!

(awesome stove, pixie, you've inspired me)

[changapeluda]

heee heee,
i love cardboard appliances, they are so much better for the environment.

[Holly]

rock on! i love the glitter burners - and of course the bare bum!

xo
holly

[holli]

hey that looks just like my stove!

[Gemma]

Oh man, this brings back such good memories from childhood!! My mom made us several iterations of the cardboard kitchen range with oven over the years of our childhood. Many of them lived in my bedroom near the little wooden table and chairs that my dad made us. Hours of bliss! When she finally could afford the fancy metal ones from the JC Penney catalog, it wasn't nearly as much fun. There was nothing of my mom in the store-bought one. Thanks for reminding me of such happy times!