It's Playtime: Old Toys, New Play

So we all know how quickly kids loose interest in some toys.  Even toys they have begged and begged for, waiting for months until their birthdays/Christmas/etc. when it finally becomes theirs, and they play with it for 10 minutes, maybe a week, and toss it aside with the rest of their discarded treasures.  It's frustrating to say the least.  But instead of sticking it the back of the closet or adding it to the "donate" pile, try looking at that toy from a different perspective.  How can it be played with differently?  Can it be taken outside?  What would happen if you added dirt or water?  How about combining it with another, unexpected toy or something else that has been discarded?  Sometimes old toys simply need a make-over.  

At last week's It's Playtime play date I came across several postings which I felt reflected this Old to New theme.  I hope they inspire you to find new ways to play with old toys.

    HappyLittleMesses found this great castle at the dump!  They decided to scrub it down, Making things new again, and added some wooden train tracks, creating a different way to play with both toys!  

So I look at this picture from Lighting Bug Literacy: They've Taken Over! and realize, I too have a ton of little bugs, snakes, frogs, etc lying around my house.  I add them sensory tables and encourage bug hunts, but I never thought to stick them in the bath!  Foam sheets can often be purchased at the $1 store.  What a  great bath time activity!  

   Cars, animals, wooden road signs, leaves; this Sand Tray Play from Picklebums gave new life to a lot of old toys.  I love the penguin in the tupperware pool!  If you are lucky enough to have a sand pit/box in your back yard, this is a great idea for that as well.      

I also encourage you to check out Cars + Crayons by Fumbling Through Parenthoood.  It's reminiscent of my Remote Control Art without the remote control aspect.  Unfortunately, I was unable to grab a photo from their blog in order to feature them. 

Featured this week?  Grab your special It's Playtime button! 

          

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Now it's time for this weeks play date!

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

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* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.
* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)
* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.