One of the reasons (among many) that you should not buy your children everything they want (or you should at least make them wait a while) is because you just may short circuit some amazing creativity.
Case in point.
Can you tell what this is? I mean, besides a lot of recycled boxes?
(Yes, the Poptarts were bought by the hubby at an –expensive– import store in Big City. The mac-n-cheese was a gift brought in from USA.)
Look at how Sprite uses it for a clue.
Lens in, lens out.
She even made slides out of cardboard.
Yep, It’s a microscope. A recycled box, cardboard microscope.
Actually a microscope was on the 2010 curriculum buying list. This one has been on my Rainbow Resource wishlist for months. But Sprite was so eager to have one that she made it, albeit a pretend version, herself.
She uses this as part of her medical practice set up. Sprite now has a desire to go into nursing. Her language tutor happens to be a nursing student, so she fosters this interest in Sprite.
Then I started thinking, everything is cheaper in China. We have a medical college right in this city, so there MUST be a vendor for microscopes here. Why should I buy a microscope in America and bring it over? I started hunting around, and eureka! I found a shop willing to order a microscope comparable to the one on my wishlist for half the price. For just over $100 I got the microscope (new), slides, and slide covers. AND I didn’t have to pay any shipping. Woo hoo! Victory!
We haven’t actually started using it because I don’t have the books I need to explain how to use it, experiments to do, etc. They are coming, though. I can’t remember anything about using a microscope from high school or college. But I do remember it being terrible interesting.
At any rate, I’m thrilled both with Sprite’s creativity and with my great bargain. Do your children make things from old boxes?
Our kids are always making things out of boxes. That is a great microscope you dd made. Wow!!! I am glad you found a great deal on a microscope. I am sure it will had so much learning to your home. WE love ours.
Blessings,
Dawn
.-= Dawn´s last blog ..Starting out the New Year with a Bang! =-.
How exciting. My daughter also loves to make things out of boxes. She really wants a microscope too. Maybe next year. Don’t have alot of use for one as of yet.
Blessings
Diane
.-= Diane´s last blog ..Today was Back to Business =-.
How neat! I think this is great. My boys don’t make things out of boxes, but they have a hobby of making cars out of scrap items like wood and metal. They carve the body out of wood and use parts from old die cast metal cars.
I can’t wait to hear more about your microscope adventures. It is on my heart to buy one in the next year, so I will be anxious to see which one you got. *Ü*
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..O is for Owl Babies =-.
Sprite is so creative! I love it!
I sent you an email with some ideas for using the scope… let me know if you have any difficulty opening the files.
🙂
My children are the same way! Hahaha lately our old boxes have been a doll car, a. Addition onto the doll house, boats for pint size action figures and a briefcase for two kids who wanted to play dectective.
I just stopped back by to let you know that you are a little ray of sunshine in may day and I gave you the sunshine award. http://delightfullearning.com/2010/01/you-are-my-sunshine/ *Ü*
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..You Are My Sunshine . . . =-.
Sprite reminds me so much of my daughter Anna Rose. She is always snatching treasures out of the recycling bin at home. I’m trying to remember what her latest project was….oh, I remember now. It’s up in her room – a complete animal care center with operating room, waiting area, and examining table. All created out of boxes. Wouldn’t our girls have a blast together? 🙂
.-= Emily Darling´s last blog ..Another Winter Picture-Book =-.
First of all, my kids and I just love your blog! My children love to read about life in China, and I love all the wonderful ideas and resources you have made available. As for the box microscope, it’s just fabulous, and it reminds me of a crane that my son built a few years back. It was built with these huge moving boxes we had, and he attached a chain to these paper towel tubes that he stuck together, and that was attached to pieces of pvc pipe which were used as a lever to control the movement. (since then I’ve collected scraps of pvc pipe from local stores which my kids have used as building blocks). He used caps from water bottles as “control” buttons on the inside, and a box was attached to the boom arm so that you could put stuff in it and move it around. All the kids from our neighborhood played with it, and since that time I’ve kept a collection of boxes, cardboard tubes, coffee cans, oatmeal boxes etc. for building purposes. Creativity rocks! I just wish I had as much as my children do!
Too cute!
My son makes things from boxes. There is a show on tv here he loves about making things from paper and milk cartons and so on.
I hate…..throwing this stuff away. You can’t keep it forever. (I try to take pictures.)
We love to make things out of boxes. Refrigerator boxes are our children’s favorites.
I remember looking at very thin slices of onions under the microscope. Lots of fun!
I can hardly wait to read what you discover with your new microscope.
That is certainly amazing creativity!
So pleased to hear you got a microscope! Have fun!
Blessings,
Melissa
I ? this! I blogged hopped over here from your comment left at the Homeschool Classroom. Glad I found you 🙂
I love it when kids do stuff like that! My 8 yr old enjoys making things out of boxes too, much more than his older sibs did
.-= DebD´s last blog ..Crushing the Heads of Dragons =-.
I love Sprite’s microscope! I also have a “hard time” throwing anything out. My childern are always collecting things for their projects. 🙂 They also like to build with Knex and Legos. Their latest creation is a Knex crossbow that really shoots.
My oldest will be doing biology next year, so I will also be buying a microscope soon. I think I will have him make this one first though, just for the experience:
http://media.scouting.org/boyslife/workshop/microscope.pdf
.-= Melissa Telling´s last blog ..Count Down To Christmas Paper Chain =-.
Oh wow! That is awesome!!! I knew from the very first picture what it was.
I am glad you were able to get a microscope. You are right, they do make everything in China! But wasn’t it you that had a hard time finding a mixer to use in your kitchen?
.-= Marsha´s last blog ..My first gift of 2010 =-.
@Marsha — yes, it was me, thrilled to find a mixer here. It’s already about to die. Lasted about 2 years; guess I should be thankful.
Made in China and SOLD in China are two different things. I guess I shouldn’t have said microscopes are made in China but should have said USED or BOUGHT even in my little city. That’s what made me realize I could find one here.
Nice, very creative!
.-= Ticia´s last blog ..Cookies! =-.
We are a retired military family and everytime we moved when our children were small, a moving box became a new toy. And sometimes it morphed into other things before it wore out. What started out as a play house with windows and doors cut out and painted was a car for my then five yo son within a few weeks. Food packages and toilet paper rolls became all kinds of things when covered with construction paper. I remember when my daughter was about eight years old, she cut down a cereal box for a purse, covered it with pretty wrapping paper and attached yarn for the handle! Thanks for the memories!
That is so sweet – I love kids with an imagination! My dd Suzy once made “felted” toy animals out of dryer lint – crazy!
Oh good for her! My little ones love to build with boxes as well. It’s amazing what they can come up with. 🙂
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Hubby’s Goof Up (Who is Chit???) Fail LOL =-.
I love it when kids make things out of cardboard. She is adorable and this little one deserves a microscope! I was getting ready to send you one myself, I thought this was so endearing.
Microscopes are fun – a whole new world!!!
She constantly amazes me! It must have been a blast to pretend with her! Can’t wait to see how you use your real microscope!
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Fantastic Friday: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes! =-.