A Beautiful Mess

I don’t know how many times a week the boys build an invention or some sort of contraption made from the contents of our kitchen recycling bin.  Boxes, egg cartons, jugs and more, are often re-purposed with a bit of string, pipe cleaners, rubber bands, tape or pencils to make something new and creative. 

Today it was a water filtration system.  Ethan decided, that with the help of his assistant (Everett), that they would build a contraption to filter dirty water.  He often gets his ideas from things we read about in our science reading, things he sees in books, or even just random thoughts he gets about the processes of everyday life… but almost always they come out as interesting combinations of materials, assembled on my kitchen table. 

Using the kitchen stool, some cardboard boxes, a coffee filter, a Styrofoam cup, an old milk jug and a bit of tape, they had a machine that takes in dirty water, cleans it, and produces a cup of clean water (not advisable for drinking I reminded them). 

They had fun experimenting with different levels of dirty water and in the end were excited to show it to Derrick when he arrived home from work. 

As Derrick watched the whole procedure unfold, he made eye contact with me and I knew he was thinking what I had also thought from the start… “Seriously, you are letting them play with mud and water on the kitchen floor?  Good idea.”

Ha.  I agree… but sometimes creativity trumps clean in this house, and when the temps are chilly outside, the kitchen is the next best place.  The cup of muddy water did spill a few times, and they wiped it up quickly so not to cause problems, but it was still a win in the eyes of these inventive boys (and their mother, who can see the beauty in the mess).

After experimenting, they decided to go outside and color the snow with a few of the squirt bottles I’ve been saving under the sink.  I mixed up a few colors for them with food coloring and they enjoyed 10-15 minutes outside, spraying the snow and getting a little fresh air in the process before they hurried inside to warm up.