Arielle recently turned four. Turning four is a big deal. We filled the dining room with balloons and invited Arielle's friends for a tea party with princess cake and pink ice cream. The real question was what should I get her for a special fourth birthday gift?
So, I started thinking and decided that either play house or puppet theater would be big, would be impressive, would be shared with her sister, and would be played with for a long time. Which would she like better?
I looked around and came up with a few options.
A Mushroom Play House ($119.95) perfect for fairies and gnomes?
The Flower Igloo Collapsible Tent($139.95) from Haba that would look so pretty in the playroom?
Should I splurge and let her get creative with a Build it Myself Play House ($229.95)?
Or, should I get her a lovely puppet theater, like this one from Vilac ($95.95)?
Hmmm.... Which would she like better? Which would she play with more? What to do?
So, I browsed through the Blueberry Forest website as I pondered my options. I admired their very extensive collection of Kathe Kruse dolls, which I will review in the future. This adorable Waldorf Kindergarten Forest Doll ($149.95) reminds me of my oldest son who just started college. Poor guy, I think he had the same glasses and hairstyle in kindergarten.
But, Arielle has her special Lizzie doll. No, she definitely needed either a puppet theater or a play house.
And then I clicked here.
Play stands! Of course! These are a staple in Waldorf classrooms and these play stands from Little Colorado ($99.95 each or $179.95 for a pair) are made in the USA. When combined with a large play silk ($36.95) and a set of play clips ($6.95 each), they can be a playhouse, a puppet theater, or a spaceship, a cozy reading nook, an igloo, a dog house, a dinosaur nest... the possibilities are as endless as a four-year-old's imagination! And mine has endless imagination.
I knew this was the right gift.
They did take a few weeks to arrive, so order early. But, the big box arrived and after the easy assembly... (screwdriver required)
"Mom, what's that?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't know."
"What could it be?"
...the girls instinctively knew what to do.
Yes, my children do get dressed sometimes, but I get the best light in the early morning!
A quote from Arielle, "They are called silky holders. They are good for lots of things. What I like best is playing store, but they can also be a library, or a castle, or my house, or a playing place. They can also even be space!"
So, Arielle got a house and a library and a store and a castle and space ship and puppet theater all rolled into one and she gets to exercise her imagination every day. They are also perfect for holding a clothes line while doing dolly laundry.
What a lucky girl!
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