Our bakery needed a new oven. We decided our small wooden oven does not cut it for 12 kids. So when I brought home this huge, sturdy box from Costco – I knew it will make a lot of kids very happy. And it did.

First day, I just brought the box in the classroom and put it on the table with some paint next to it. Kids immediately decided it should be green (no pun intended, I think) and started working on it. It took almost a day to dry.

Next morning we added some buttons with paper fasteners and foam. Kids came up with an idea of using CDs and pipe cleaners for the burners, that I totally loved! And then the most fun part of oven decoration came. I don’t even know who started it but suddenly they were taking turns sticking their head in the oven, decorating the top of it from the inside, with a black sharpie.

For over an hour, 6-8 of them were taking 2-minute turns sticking their head inside the oven. They even came up with a little chant: drawing in the oven, drawing in the oven… they were singing it and drumming on the box, in total sync. It was fascinating to watch. And I must say the results are pretty impressive, though not many people will probably see them.

Well, you are among the lucky few: