Kids’ Play; Mr. or Mrs. Fix-it
Posted Mar 4, 08 -Filed Under Children's Activities, reuse broken appliances | Leave a Comment
What can you do with a broken toaster?
Malfunctioning Toaster
Teach your little Fix-it some repair-person lingo.
Broken Electric Can-opener
Are the kids looking for something to do? Suggest Mr. or Mrs. Fix-it. Save your broken small appliances such as a blender, toaster, iron, electric can opener, hair dryer etc. Children love pretending to be a repair-person even if they aren’t really fixing anything. This kind of imaginative play can also be a time of learning. Let them explore what is on the inside and they will begin to see how things work. You might want to point out the parts that you know. Ask what things are connected to what other things. Older kids might want to look for loose pieces, worn out parts or missing pieces- anything that might be a clue to why the appliance doesn’t work anymore. Bonus: using a screwdriver improves muscle dexterity!
How-2: Look for inexpensive small appliances at garage sales, thrift stores or where-ever. Ask around: someone will have a broken something they would be happy to donate. This project should be done with adult supervision. Have some tools on hand such as screwdrivers, wire cutters, pliers, and needle-nose pliers. Younger children may need an adult to loosen tight screws. (Note: Modern electronics (computers) may or may not have dangerous/ toxic components and I do not recommend children play with these sorts of things.)
