Kleenex Tissue Box House or theatre. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Kleenex Box Theatre
Here's a game for a dolls' house or theatre made on holiday. I have used an almost empty Kleenex tissue box. The had a dozen white tissues at the back form a backdrop. No need to remove them.
Ring Box Display
Inside is the lower half of a heart shaped plastic ring box. The lid broke. I was wondering what use I could make of a ring box with no lid. To display a ring handily on holiday, by a bathroom wash basin? On the bedside table?
I found some tiny Guatemalean dolls, fingernail size. They stick upright in the slit intended for a jewellery ring.
You can use an open ring box during the day for play whilst the ring is on your finger. Retrieve the box at night for the ring when the children have gone to bed.
Shoe Box House
You could also make a theatre or dolls' house from one or two shoe boxes, with an upright cereal box for the side staircase. Cut square or round windows using a cup or glass or coins as a template. Behind the window place a holiday brochure showing the sea or mountains or city skyline.
For afternoon entertainment, or bedtime, you could read my poem.
Alternatively, simpler, make a theatre with a stage. Make two dolls or puppets from silhouettes cut from a magazine.
Dolls' House comical poem by Angela Lansbury
Ava had a little dolly
And the dolly's name was Molly
Molly had a taller sister
And her sister's name was Elsa
The sisters lived in a big house
Which had a dog, a cat, and mouse
A front garden, pots with flowers
A sundial clock counted hours
Outside was small blue car
If dolly wanted to go far
And a train in the train station
And police in the police station
In the hallway was a rug
Where Molly met you with a hug
In the hallway by the window
Was a long inviting settee
When you had nowhere to go
Shut your eyes, dream of the sea - or tea
In the kitchen the best honey
Which had cost a lot of money
In the kitchen was a cook
With an apron, bowl, and book
Upstairs was an attic bed
A pillow where you put your head
And a box with lots of toys
But the toys made no noise
And a wardrobe with a mirror
Where dollies could dress for dinner
And some pictures on the wall
With blue gum to fix them all
On the roof a helipad
Where you could land a little plane
Some of the roof was sloping
Made a runaway for the rain
The roof had statues of a dog
A Noah's ark, tortoise and frog
A cow, a horse, even a bear
A monster with a lot of hair
On the roof the cat with claws
Sat beside the Santa Claus
He hid on the roof all year
Waiting to deliver Christmas cheer
Yes, dolly did have a brother
And a father, and a mother
Dolly-sitter Ava came to stay
When dollies' Dad went on holiday.
But the dolly girls went to school
And the school had lots of rules
About the times when you could play
The long weekends, and holidays.
At bedtime with a sigh
Dolly had to say goodbye
But Dolly was here to stay
Ready to play another day
So Ava shut the door, the house
Put in the cat, put out the mouse
She said, 'dear dollies, please sleep tight
I wish you, both, a very good night'.
-ends-
This poem should have been on my blog on comical poetry but I saved it quickly onto this blog by mistake. Tomorrow I shall add pictures to the version which I have now saved to my poetry blog.
Toys and DIY
It would be easy to print a tiny list of rules for a school wall, or dolls. house kitchen. Six point type. Or a psotage stamp size piece of white paper with your best calligraphy. Or a piece cut from one of those irritating instruction books in tiny print in multiple languages. Or a postage stamp with the head of the president or king or hero or your country or the country you visit on holiday.
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