Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I'm loving...chairs, teacups, purposeful work...


 ...I'm loving the simplicity of ordinary chairs and the doors they open for imaginative play...
Each playschool morning, I set up a row of dining room chairs with baskets of lengths of cloth.
I also include some empty baskets, which the children love.


 So commonplace and easy to move, chairs become fortresses, dungeons, houses....



...I'm loving old teacups as a lesson in handling things delicately.
Six teacups in a row, with a tiny lace doilie under each one...
Each child's cup is denoted by a small piece of folded watercolor paper depicting their symbol.




 No broken teacups!
...yet.... :)


I'm loving the purposeful work that has become a hallmark of our days together



 This week, we are loving sanding wood edges until they are nice and smooth...


I'm also loving attempting naps outside...


Our home, in all its small, narrow and somewhat-becoming-cluttered goodness:)
(...I blame the recent excess on my excitement for yard sale season!!!!)


..and the large blanket bug that crawls through my dining room:)


14 comments:

  1. Oh I hear you about the goodies that find their way into our homes from yard sales and thrift stores! Your teacups remind me of a recent purchase I couldn't help but make...a tiny porcelain tea set! Hours of creative fun for a mere $1.50! Looks adorable in the play kitchen too! ;o)
    Beautiful photos as always!
    Wish I had those gleaming wood floors!
    ~ joey ~

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  2. Rebecca...Your home looks so warm and inviting, just right for little ones to scamper about. If only I were four again, I'd want to be there, too!
    xo Jules

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  3. Your home looks just beautiful. And like Jules said: warm and inviting. Yes indeed.

    Warm wishes, Diana

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  4. The chairs are perfect - my 8 year old still uses them - but the empty baskets - genius! I shall put some out for my pre-schoolers! Jane :)

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  5. Rebecca, I love looking at pictures of your home and the lucky children that get to dwell there. You are great. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Dear Rebecca, chairs and empty baskets are favorites here too!
    I love your living room, and it appears we both have small, narrow, somewhat cluttered (goodness) homes!
    <3

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  7. Your home looks so warm and cozy.
    We live in a row home in Philadelphia, we have the same small, narrow space! We have a large doorway with beautiful old trim in between our living space and dining room too!
    I love the idea of letting children use breakable things, too (one of the Montessori ideas I will use!).

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  8. What a great space. Your house is lovely.
    And, garage sale season is upon us here too. I feel the same way.

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  9. Rebecca - your home is beautiful - we miss visit sometime.

    namaste, nicole

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  10. The chairs at our local library have been a fortress, a train, a caterpillar, a bridge, a pirate ship and many other fantastic creations. Chair rock.

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  11. beautiful those chairs with the baskets just make me happy!

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  12. ahhh the mighty fort! The hallmark of a great childhood. I love the little doilies under the tea cups what a great way to have its place. How are those outside naps going??? I would think there is too much magic in the outdoors to settle and rest :)

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  13. The magic of childhood! I still have memories of building forts under our antic dinning room table. It was a cave, a castle, a home in the forest...., then there was the bench I would flip over and turn into a boat. I love to see my own children turn the house upside down to make make forts. As long as nothing is broken and everything back in it's place by the time daddy retuns from work all is right with the world. Daddy needs a clean and peaceful place to return to from the crazy world outside.Thank you for stopping by my blog last week.

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  14. We use real cups and plates with O too... The only cup he's broken has been a glass marketed to be used by children! Hmmm...
    Carrie

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