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Mark Icanberry
says the words every parent loves to hear: "You don't have
to spend money for your kids to have fun."
And then he
shows them how. An inveterate tinkerer, the 37-year-old
Kensington resident is standing in his garage-turned-workshop,
where a variety of hand-made projects are on display. Ever
since he was a boy, Icanberry has loved to build all sorts
of things-toy ships, forts, bird feeders.
He was the
kind of kid, he says who was given rolls of masking tape
for Christmas.
Icanberry is
still at it today. In fact, he's parlayed his love of building
things into a series of children's books. The brightly illustrated
volumes tell a story while at the same time teaching kids
about hands-on projects they can create.
Take the bevy
of miniature ships in his workshop. These toy models are
made with the simplest of resources. A river barge is created
by taping together parts of four milk cartons. Sailboats
are formed with cartons, straws, shish-kebab sticks, string
and plastic baggies. The main component for tiny rowboats
are toothpicks.
"Masking tape
is a great tool for toy ships," Icanberry says. "If you
wrap the tape really carefully around the base, it creates
an overlay that looks like boards and planks."
Then there is
an aircraft carrier-the USS Fly. It's been built with the
top of a cardboard box (painted gray). Dixie Cups, colored
masking tape, duct tape, an empty tea box, an empty staple
box and an array of 10-cent airplanes that normally serve
as party favors.
Other how-to
projects that Icanberry details in his children's books
are little greenhouses, birdbaths, bubble blowers and compasses.
Such projects
can keep kids entertained and engaged for hours, says Icanberry,
father of a 14-year-old son. Creativity and resourcefulness
is more important than any so-called art skills, he adds.
And practically
anything around the house can be used for handmade projects.
Milk cartons, boxes, packaging, string, chopsticks, cardboard,
caps, cans, toilet-paper rolls-a whole slew of things that
people would otherwise throw in the garage.
It's endless,
"Icanberry says of the available resources.
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