The Power of the Peg Doll

 I am happy to share that my peg dolls have been purchased and shipped all around the world along with my play mats, mountains, boats, & more.  As an early childhood educator and parent, I know that children's imaginations are sparked by the simplest things - a cardboard box, a stick, a peg doll. These simple wood turning dolls are handcrafted by a fellow Ohio artisan and hand painted by me.  They are sealed with a natural, non toxic sealer safe for children.

 Peg dolls can be anything and everything. One simple doll painted with a green body can be a zookeeper, a fairy, a mommy, a garbage man, and so much more.

 No bells. No whistles. No batteries. No small pieces to break off.  These peg dolls are unisex and hold a whole universe of imagination within them.

 Children have BIG ideas for these little peg dolls.  Adults do, too.  I have heard that they are being used for imaginative play, home decor, in classrooms, and even in play therapy!  I love the fact that not only are my peg dolls part of your children's childhood, but also that they can be part of the healing process for children. That's the power of the peg doll.  My heart is full.

This is the magic of childhood.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Penguins in April

 Do not ask me why, but in Saturday, I woke up thinking Penguin Chicks. It did snow on Saturday here in Ohio in April. Was it my fault???

 Wouldn't these be cute for a baby shower for first birthday party???

Not happy to paint just one, I made a whole dozen Penguin Chicks Peg Dolls. A waddle of penguins!

The play possibilities are endless.

Add to winter pretend play, dollhouse, or play mat. Use as a cake topper. Gave as party favors.

They are now available in my shop
www.mybigworld2015.etsy.com

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

What is an Imagination Kit?

Simply put, an Imagination Kit is a collection of items - a couple of toys, items from Nature, and a play mat - to engage your child, spark their imagination, and encourage creative play.

Play is important. Imaginative play develops and strengthens language skills, storytelling, creative thinking, role playing, and more! If you are play alongside your child, Imagination Kits also promote strong bonds and communication skills with your child and...it's fun!

Immerse yourself in the whimsical small world play. Make up stories together. Laugh. Be silly. Or send as a gift to that special kiddo in your life.

I am the first one on #etsy to offer this concept. My background is early childhood education. Creating imaginative play was the basis for creating these Imagination Kits.

Too often kids sit in front of a tv or video game or DVD. Let's exercise their imagination. Let's remember how to PLAY and entertain ourselves. Let's make up our own stories and invent new fairytales!

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Pigeon's Pretend Pet Shop

 The Grand Opening was a success. Lots of pets found good homes.  G asked very good questions of the customers like "What size pet do you want?" or ""Are you a person who likes snakes?" or "This hedgehog needs a lot of care.  Can you do that?"

 "Would you like to hold these baby hamsters? They are sooo cute and were just born." Read this in your head with a tiny, squeaky voice.

 "Hedgehogs need a lot of care.  And lettuce.  They looove lettuce.  I think they might even like asparagus, too, but I am not sure.  I saw in a book once that they like apples and strawberries. Where is that book?"

Baby Chameleon joined up this morning.  He was hiding somewhere.  "Probably using his camouflage, so you couldn't see him."  :)  That makes my heart happy that she knows about animal camouflage and uses it properly in a sentence.  We have been talking about chameleons changing colors - she was listening.

Well, the pet shop is about to open for the morning, so I have to go.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Pigeon's Pet Shop Grand Opening

So Pigeon's Pet Shop has been in the planning stages for several weeks now.  But today is the Grand Opening.  Why Pigeon?  Well, because one of our favorite books is Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.  G said, "Oh my goodness, can you imagine if Pigeon ran a pet store? It would be chaos."

So we cleared off the bookshelves.

We organized.

We wrote out the prices. (Good writing skills there!)

We placed all the animals in their "cages".

I love the price amounts that SHE came up with.  Huge price difference but oh well.

All (or most) of the animals are from Safari Ltd. Incredible Creatures line.  We love them.  They are bigger than most of the animals out there, so they are the perfect size fora  pretend pet shop.

We do carry exotic and unusual pets as well - a variety of birds, some snails, pet ladybugs, pigs, frogs, eels, and more!

G took hours deciding the placement of each animal.  too funny.

Once all the animals were in place, she added to our inventory (more birds and lizards and Nemos and Squirts the turtle!)

We worked really hard at creating a perfect pet shop after visiting our local pet store. "We need bedding and toys for the animals and food and money."  I think she will be a great store owner:)

We are ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony with goldfish crackers for snack!

Will you be inspired to create a pet shop in your home or classroom's dramatic play area?

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

My Big World Etsy Shop Launch Today!

 I launched the reopening of my Etsy shop today!  I am so excited to share this with you.  It's been a labor of love (and some crying, too!) for the past several months.

 There is a saying that goes something like, "there is good in the bad."  When my father in-law was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer in September 2014. that's all we could think about.  I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off this.

 I needed a project.

 So in between visiting them and helping out and working, I started sewing.  It was therapeutic and a good distraction.  I am passionate about early childhood education (as most of you know) and I am a self-proclaimed geek when it comes to small toys like Schliech, Safari Ltd., Papo, Peter Rabbit, Tinkerbell, etc.  So why not combine the two?

 Playscapes are landscapes for imagination.  All hand-stitched with tiny details, these wool felt play mats are designed to encourage children's imaginations.  Maybe Peter Rabbit is in Mr. McGregor's garden again or...

 Maybe the fairies are hiding their treasures in this cave or the animals are having a camp out or...

 Maybe Hello Kitty and her friend are tending to their garden in the forest beside a stream of lily pads.

 Or maybe Mama Bear is watching her cubs play with their toy boat by the stream.  The possibilities are endless really.  Each whimsical playscape is all hand-stitched and filled with tiny details like tufts of grass, enchanting gardens, caves, twisting streams, hollow logs, stone pathways, 3D bridges, mossy patches, ponds, etc.  I have 4 to 6 hours in each playscape, but I love how they turned out.

Each one is approximately 15 inches by 15 inches.  Ready to ship. Ready to play.  There's a link over to the right hand side that will take you to my shop.

Have a fun & playful day!
Mel

Craft Day Tuesday - Felt Food

I went to Joann today to pick up some felt for Craft Day Tuesday and found a whole rainbow of happiness! So, of course, I picked up one of each color :)

 I have happy plans for this rainbow of felt, but I will save that for a later date.  Mean, right?  I promise that it will be worth the wait.

 For today, we are making felt food.  Cinnamon rolls to be exact.  Yum.  (Now I am craving cinnamon rolls.)  No sewing needed.  Easy peasy.  The kids can help with this one.  You need two shades of brown felt, ribbon, scissors (I use pinking sheers and regular scissors, and white puffy fabric paint.

 Cut the felt into strips. Mine are about 1.5 inches.  You can cut however wide you would like.  This will be the height of your cinnamon roll. The bottom is straight cut.  The top is cut with pinking sheers for a jagged effect.  You don't have to do this.

 Layer the two brown shades of felt and roll.

 I tie mine with a pretty ribbon - that way you don't have to sew it - but you could glue it and get the same look.

 Now drizzle on the icing...I mean, the puffy paint.  Sure does look like icing, doesn't it?

 Seriously, I want cinnamon rolls right now.  It looks good enough to eat.  Now, make a dozen or so and your little ones will be sooo excited to be little bakers for the take.  May I take your order please? Oh, yes.  I would like two cinnamon rolls with icing on top.

So sweet!

Have a Fun & Playful day!
Mel