Oh yeah. I did it. I built the “just tape up your floor” city/road/train track indoor activity for my children on the 5th day we were stuck inside because of gross weather.
I taped up all over the playroom with my washi tape. I made roads and spots for buildings. The whole shebang. The boys and I built up skyscrapers and houses and even an airplane hanger. We set up Tidmouth Shed and used all of our train tracks making the COOLEST train track. Then, I left them to play. ((Let’s pretend my white dog doesn’t lay ALL OVER my black rug mmmkay?)
Guys. Pretty much 15 minutes later my kids were out of the playroom throwing around their paper airplanes I had made earlier that day. They had ZERO interest in the city we built. Absolutely zero interest.
Another 5 minutes later, I caught Alex peeling up the tape and I almost lost my mind! I asked what the heck he was doing and he answered me just like a 4 year old boy does. Honestly. “I don’t like it anymore.” Pretty much I wanted to cry because I obviously worked really hard on that! I text John and told him the sad news. My city was lame-sauce.
I left it on the floor for a few more days (read: weeks because I kept forgetting to take it up) and they never, ever used it again.
I would say I was surprised and shocked, but guess what? I wasn’t. It just helped me to realize that kids don’t need all of that craziness to play. They just don’t. Kids are so happy playing with the bare minimum.
My kids threw around paper airplanes for 2 days straight. That was it. They barely touched another toy for a whole weekend.
So, the bottom line is, before you spend an hour making a tape road/city, make some paper airplanes because they are way cooler apparently.
