Projects, or Christmas continued

Here's something that has been really fun about having a five-year-old: projects. Ben's attention span  has developed enough now that we can really enjoy sitting down together and working on a lego project or a board game. This time is reminding me that I actually like legos quite a bit myself, so I enjoy sitting with him while he figures out what he is building and how to follow the directions. I'm all for creative play with legos, but I understand the satisfaction of learning what the pieces are meant to  do first and how they are meant to work together.  I've heard good things about a Lego Idea Book that's meant to encourage creativity.  We'll check that out eventually. 

Ben with his first bigger lego project completed 

JB has enjoyed helping Ben learn how to use the real tools he got for Christmas. The "tool tote" in the pic there is one of three things on Ben's very modest Christmas list (which he made only because I asked him to) along with the game of uno and "paper punchers" (hole punchers that make different shapes).

I think the tool tote idea arose, at least in part, from a very cool workshop he got to go to at Homestead Heritage (on that rainy, cold fair day that was otherwise pretty miserable). He got to put together his own wooden sailboat, which he chose over the tool tote option that day. 

Christmas was not complete for Benjamin until he got to take something apart with his Uncle Richard--this time it was an old laptop computer. Banging up the old hard drive with his own real hammer was done with particular relish.