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As a parent, it's super important to me that I take the time to teach my son about the importance of caring for the Earth. God gave us this beautiful place to live, and entrusted mankind with caring for it. We certainly try to do our part, by recycling, upcycling, caring for plants and animals, using eco-friendly products, etc. I prefer the hands on approach when teaching my son. I always learned better when I was able to participate in a hands-on activity, and my 4-year-old is thus far the same way.

With today being Earth Day, I wanted to share our thoughts on an amazing project box from our friends at My Pretend Place! My Pretend Place offers really fun activity and dress up kits for kids, which allow them to use their imaginations to discover and explore the world around them. Kids definitely learn through play, and it's something I strongly encourage.

B was so excited to receive a project box from My Pretend Place!

When I told B that we'd be making some new projects and crafts, he couldn't wait to see what they'd be! He loves being creative. My Pretend Place sent us an awesome Dress Up Box in February, and when I told B that this box was from the same place, he was beyond excited.

Our box contents were nicely wrapped in tissue paper, and we were wished well on our pretending!

Our Project Box came with everything needed to make two different projects, and there were two kits for each project included- one for me, and one for B, or one for a friend.

Our project box also included a letter from Phil Mingo, who takes care of the birds at the zoo. Phil told us a little bit about his favorite birds (woodpeckers), and what we can do to care for the birds, and attract them to our own yard. We would be building our own bird feeder with the materials included in our project box, and we would also be creating our own binoculars to watch the birds that come to our yard.

B loves to help me fill up our bird feeders with bird seed, and loves to watch the birds that come to our yard. He can already identify several, such as robins, cardinals, and sparrows, which frequent our feeders. One of my goals for this summer is to attract some finches!

B wanted to work on making the binoculars first, so we got out everything needed to make a pair.

Our project box provided us with step by step instructions (with photos), and the needed materials. All of the items needed were prepared for us- holes were pre-punched, strings were pre-cut, stickers had a backing to just peel off, etc. Our kit even included craft glue, which meant that I didn't have to go searching for ours!

B's ready to get crafting!

Our binocular craft instructions.

I took a few minutes to go over the directions with B. I wanted him to see that we'd be following the photos, which would show us what we needed to do- step by step, in order to create our craft. We went over the directions together, and I asked him what we needed to do first. He pointed to the first photo and told me that we needed the tubes, and the glue.

B helped me glue the two paper tubes together- he insisted on using one paper tube of each color.

After we glued the paper tubes together, we used the adhesive tape to wrap around one end of the binoculars. B selected the green check tape.

Next, we threaded the pre-cut string through the pre-punched holes in the paper tubes.

After that, B added decorative stickers. He selected both flower stickers.

Not totally dry here yet, but B couldn't wait to test the binoculars out.

Perfect for bird watching!

B totally loves his new binoculars, and has been proudly showing them off! He even took them over to grandma's house the other day! This is a wonderful craft for kids of all ages. The pre-packaged kit made it super easy for us to get started on and complete this craft in about 30 minutes.

Next up- we'd be working on making our own bird feeder.

The bird feeder craft was slightly more involved that the binocular craft, and if you have tiny tots, they will need help and supervision with this project. The kits include paint, glue, craft sticks, and string- everything you need to make this fun and exciting project.

B decided right from the start, that he did not want to paint the craft sticks. That actually suited me just fine. If you do want to paint the craft sticks, the kit includes two different colors of paint. The sticks have to be individually painted, and left to dry before you can begin putting the craft together,

We followed the directions and glued our craft sticks together, to make the base of the bird feeder. This was actually a great math exercise for us, because you had to be sure to use a certain number of craft sticks.

We began gluing and stacking, to make a frame around the feeder.

Once the frame was stacked high enough, we allowed it to dry completely.

We then threaded the strings through, and hung it up outside. For now, it's on a pole outside, near the laundry room. We can look out the laundry room window and watch the birdies!

We'll be filling the feeder with bird seed this spring and summer, to attract our fine feathered friends. We also have a little bird bath nearby, which should attract even more birds- they love to eat, and splash! We'll try different seeds at different times, to see what types of birds we can attract. We may also try putting out some fruit, such as oranges, as a lot of birds like oranges! We can't wait to see what types of fun cratfs and activities we'll receive next from My Pretend Place!

Want It? Get It!

Head on over to My Pretend Place, LLC to browse their wonderful website and product selection, or to sign up for their Pretend Play Dress Up Subscription Box! You can shop by theme, or category! Be sure to swing by The Playroom for amazingly creative craft, recipe, and activity ideas to extend playtime! This is definitely going to be a go-to site for me this summer, when we have a lot of time to fill.

Special thanks to our friends at My Pretend Place for allowing us to experience and share about their wonderful Project Box!