Blasting off..... in a rocket ship.

All my kids love space. I have great memories of when my big kids (now 18 and 20) were the same age as Arielle and Linnea. I took them on a geology field trip with me, and they spent the six hour drive playing spaceship and singing "we are aliums!"

Arielle went through a year when she always wanted stories about rocket ships and her friends Moonielle and Starielle who live in space. I had to make them up, and now she calls her Mommy-made-up bedtime story a "Moon Story".

Here's a true Moon Story.

One very exciting day, a rocket landed in the playroom. The FedEx man brought it.

It required a little assembly - cardboard tabs had to be pushed into cardboard holes. I needed help, just an extra hand to hold things, but it wasn't too hard.

Then... out popped a little alien.




"Hello," it said. "Do you have cookies on this planet?"

Once the alien confirmed that, yes, this is a planet with abundant cookies, she decided to visit awhile. Then I had no more cookies.



The rocket ship ($77.95) is made in the USA of recycled paper and is 100% recyclable. It is from Down to Earth Toys, which is just a great place for Toys Made in the USA. I recently saw the rocket ship listed as one of Kiwi Magazine's top eco-friendly toys of the year. Arielle and Linnea certainly thought it was a top toy!

It's just the right size (67"H x 27.5"W x 27.5"D) for two little aliens and a few treasures. With a little effort, I even fit myself in there. I don't suggest this unless you really like tight spaces.



For Arielle and Linnea packing up the spaceship for the journey was almost as much fun as actually visiting strange planets. They put in a whole collection of play food. Traveling is hungry work.



Happy face.


I just asked for comments from the aliens. Arielle said she wishes the rocket was really big because then it would be even better (where would be put it?). And, Linnea told be a very enthusiastic story about zoom zoom zooming to outer space and having a picnic of astronaut food and alien food on the moon.

And off they go again....

The spaceship would be fun to decorate... glow-in-the-dark paint and space stickers would be cool. Or glow-in-the-dark stars? Maybe a sticker from every planet visited? Because we are moving soon, I decided to hold off on decorating, so the paint doesn't get banged up.




This is a neat toy for encouraging imaginative play both indoors and outdoors. Boys and girls will love it and get great practice at counting down from 10 to 1 (a kindergarten skill). I can't imagine a child not loving it. And, when they outgrow it, it can be passed on or recycled.



And check out the Playhouse.

Thank you, Down to Earth Toys for this out-of-this-world play experience.