I had a question about this and I knew I needed to come back and elaborate more on it…..

Each year in my room as I guess an addendum to our regular “store” we have a Character Creations store.  It’s basically like a dumbed down version of Build A Bear! 🙂

I begin by choosing a theme–I usually start with the GIngerbread Man, but you could use it for any character.  I use the veggie trays from the Dollar Tree (you know the ones that are circle shaped and you put dip in the middle and veggies around the outside?).  I cut out gingerbread people from rectangles of felt (usually the light brown color) and then add items that the kids can buy with their mini-economy money in the spaces in the veggie tray.  I cut apart sequin rick-rack, rainbow rick-rack, and yarn.  I also get pom-pom balls in different sizes and colors.  There are also wiggle eyes (some with eye lashes and some without).  I pretty much go to my craft closest and what ever is there gets put into the spaces in the veggie trays.

I then call the children over 2-3 at a time (a parent helper is great for this!) and they can use all or little of their mini-economy money to purchase items to decorate their gingerbread person.  I have a colleague who does this with her children and then they get to stuff them and make them into pillow people! 🙂  They are SOOOO cute!

I use that Aleene’s Tacky Glue to have the children glue on their objects so they will stay on–regular glue just doesn’t work.  Some years I have charged for the rental of the glue bottles or charged the children to use my glue–just to show them what their parents have to pay for at the Build A Bear! 🙂

It’s a fun time and we display them in the hallway. It’s a great lesson for Math–counting out money, making change, etc.

Can you think of any other characters this would be cute for?  I could see using it for the 3 Little Pigs and decorating their homes with different materials!

Kristen 🙂