We’re in the middle of a what-were-we-thinking-but-this-will-be-so-worth-it home renovation, so we have lots of painters tape around. Normally I despise it. Today it made something pretty awesome. 

We’ve been in a bit of a rut lately with our car and truck play, so this morning we mixed it up. I was just going to make a few roads. Then Jackson asked for a grocery store.

Then a library. Lowes. (Like I said… renovation.) Our house. The horses we drive by down the street. The forest where we take our hikes. The stump (the little piece of tape) he and Lucas love to jump off of on the trail. 

Parking spots. A book drop at the library. 

I added labels to reinforce letter identification and word recognition. Today is trash/recycling day in our town, and after the kids watched the trucks go by, Lucas grabbed his favorite truck and shoved some Legos in the back. 

Play to make sense of the world. Play to reinforce skills. Play to make connections. Play to explore and try new skills in a safe environment. Play for fun. 

My boys love each other so much. They also drive each other (and therefore me) bananas for a large portion of the day. So anytime we can find something they can do together, it is a major win. 

Tape town was big enough to give them their own space, but with opportunities for developmentally-appropriate social interactions and learning based on familiar scenarios. They went on hikes, parked at Stop and Shop and bought groceries, drove to Lowes for paint, returned books in the drop box at the library, and came home to play. Jackson and I talked about our address, directions, and landmarks. They navigated a few minor traffic jams and stolen parking spots, with only one major HE DESTROYED MY DOUBLE DECKER BUS meltdown. Win.  

I hope you enjoy your own tape town as much as we are loving ours! Happy playing!