Pipe Cleaner Dolls

Every summer we spend a week or so at my parents' home on the coast of Maine, which is fabulously off the beaten track. I love the remoteness and the endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, but both become a challenge when Maine's notorious fog rolls in, puts up its feet, and overstays its welcome.

This year, I pledged to come prepared. I trawled through FamilyFun's offerings, and in about two minutes, voilà, I had craft number one: Pipe Cleaner Dolls.

After ignoring all things doll for seven years, my 9-year-old girls are now head over heels with American Girls, Polly Pockets, Groovy Girls — any replica of a small female will do. But even if you don't have a doll lover, you could easily morph these creations into soccer players or dogs.

So I printed out the directions, checked our supplies (we had most of the materials, and the remainder cost barely $2 at the nearest big box), and packed it all up with the rest of our gear.

Because I was ready for rain, of course the sun shone brilliantly for seven days straight. So on our last day, we put little sister down for her quiet time, and had a ball making seven brightly-clad quirky dolls under an umbrella on the deck.

(Note to self: Buy real colors for hair — "Who has pink hair, Mom?" And yes, I will remind Caitlin of this when she's 17 and experimenting with hair dye.)

Bonding with your kids over wooden beads and felt is valuable in its own right. And yet there was even an added bonus. I'd expected that after the project was done, the dolls might get some play time, and then slump on a shelf. But my girls had other plans. And now their dolls have dolls of their own.