Like Father Like Son: Part 2: Modifications

I think that too often we (parents and teachers) are very concerned about when a project is finished.  If I have learned one thing from living with Chris and Miles it's that a project is rarely finished.  A creative project can nearly always be tweaked or modified to make it even cooler, meaner, faster, etc. This is particularly important to remember when referring to children's creative play.  Lots of times, we clean up or other wise interrupt the play before a child is necessarily done.    When often, if materials are left with in view a child will return to a project a day, week, or even a month later.  Having open-ended materials available and accessible to children helps to spark their imagination.  Leaving those materials available and accessible helps children to extend their curiosity and creative exploration.  

Here is Miles on day 2 of  creating his cardboard box car. (This project has been completely created and designed by Miles although I have helped cut the cardboard where he directed.) To see day 1 please look here.

Today he decided that he needed both rear-view and side-view mirrors for his car.  (In the car ride home he kept talking about how he was going to use 3 mirrors, but I was having the darnedest time figuring out what he was planning on using them for.) 

He drew on the mirrors where he wanted me to cut them and then after I cut out the holes he drew he put duct tape on the inside of the cups so it would be shiny.  

Here he is doing a preliminary seat test. 

Then he decided that he needed to have easy access to the motor and asked me to cut a hole to make a hood. 

We found out when playing with the car yesterday that the wheels not only couldn't turn when they are taped on, but they fall off rather easily.  So Miles asked Daddy for a few nuts and bolts to attach them with.  (Later you can see where he put the spare one on the A pillar, just in case he had a break down.)  

He added the plastic nails and screws from his plastic tool kit.

After I thought that he was done making modifications and had stepped out of the room he decided that the car needed finders and cut the outside off the paper plate that he used for the steering wheel and taped them over the wheels.  

For finishing (maybe) touches he wanted to put in a cozy seat with a box to lean against.  

So here we are... "Finished!"  

Except that when we woke up this morning, he started adding to the decorations on the car maker and making statements about like, "I'm going to add__________ to my car after school."  

So we'll see... I'll keep you posted... I'm trying my best to allow Miles to keep the project going as long as hit little heart is content.  (We may have to move it out of the kitchen though...)