Mister Maker | 2010

One of Jakjak's favorite things to do at the moment is to "make something". He had just gotten a new Play Doh ice cream making set which he saw on the telly (it was on sale!) and was having a jolly good time pretending to serve ice cream swirls, when he finished his Cookie Crisp cereal. At the back of the box was a cut out rocket which I helped him cut and tape together. After a while, he had a great idea and put on the cut up box on his head and started mumbling airline blabber (you know, the kind that goes "we are now at 1800 feet above Singapore ..."). He had so much fun that he forgot about the ice cream maker. 

This is a pilot helmet. Really.

There seems to be something about empty boxes that call out to children. He once used a big empty computer box (one I used to carry my stuff out of my old office) as an airplane. He used a "balik-bayan" box as a hide out. He even used one of medium-sized ones to make himself a Jakjak in a box. If I had only realized that it would be this cheap to get creative playtime with him, I would have just put all those Hotwheels cars in a box (one that says "Dad's") and bought him empty cardboard boxes from the local grocery. It would have made our place look like a warehouse though, and Mum probably wouldn't approve.

This is a train. Really really.

During their free time, Mum usually home schools Jakjak with letters, numbers, words and the sort of things that you learn in school. Most of the time though, Jakjak is just playing or watching the telly. Television shows nowadays seem to have evolved, and I meant that in a good way. Back in the day, the only choice I had was Sesame Street and the News. Today, we are watching Word World, Captain Y, Mister Maker, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dora and Diego and all the other education biased shows. Which is a relief, because those are the shows that Jakjak likes to watch (along with Flapjack and the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy). With some parental guidance, he's been learning stuff that I didn't know until I was thirteen. It's good to see him use what he has learned, and it makes him proud to see his work appreciated, which is why our kitchen has now become an art wall. We like to think of it as, free wallpaper.