She always has been pleased by the simple things in life, but I thought this was extreme. She got really excited and started to explain that this special tape can be turned into bags and bracelets. I was still baffled until she told me, "it's the kind of tape that is usually grey".
So, apparently, the new "thing" is colored and printed duct tape. Children in school are having their parents buy special colors of the tape, folding it in half, adding a piece of sticky-backed velcro, and calling it a bracelet. They are making pouches and wallets and all sorts of things from the vibrantly colored materials. All she wants is tape. Now I get it.
When I went out of town last weekend, I was lucky enough to find spools of the Duck brand of tape. We collected a few different colors, a few prints, and some velcro. Every day since, I can not keep her away from it for too long! Just a few weeks prior, I was pulling her away from texting on her phone! Each day she comes home with a list of friends who want a bracelet or a bag. In fact, she has mastered the art of covering a fold-top sandwich bag and turning it into a fancy little pouch/case. It is incredible!
Upon returning to the city, I went on my search to find a few places to pick up more colors or varieties. Some of the kids at school have bought theirs from Duane Reade. Some from Staples. None were nearly as inexpensive as the craft store in Connecticut, but still fairly reasonable. I did just find out today that The Craft Studio is carrying a wide variety of colors and prints too(at a reasonable price). I am sure that many of the toy stores in the area are(or soon will be) carrying it also.
I remember being a kid and feeling the same way about embroidery floss as these kids are beginning to feel about this tape! I remember spending every quarter I had on a new color and making too many bracelets to wear, but wearing them anyway. It was a much cheaper obsession, but I have to admit that these bags and bracelets are very funky and chunky and cool! I have even been drawn to making a few things myself! Fifth graders are simply folding the tape in half and all the bracelets are almost the same size. I taught my daughter how easy the tape tears and showed her that she can make the strands as thin as she'd like. It makes for a huge variety of designs.
I am sure that this fad will come and go and come back again. Not too long ago, our kids were crying and begging for Silly Bands. They were trading and wearing them for quite a while. What can you DO with them though? Not a whole lot. The thing I hated about that little trend was that all my kids seemed to do was count them over and over and wear their favorites each day. They were comparing how many they had. They competed to see who had more. There are now thousands of the things sitting all over my house. At least with this more recent obsession, they can be creative and make useful and cute things.
Since our purchase I have not had to tell my daughter to get off the phone. I have not had to tell her to stop watching TV and get her homework done. She does her best to stay on top of things so she has more time to "create". It is almost magical! My advice? If you have a creative kid who doesn't have some colored duct tape, go out and get some! Better yet, buy some plain old duct tape and see what they can do. We all fall victim to trends and our kids are no exception. This is one trend that I will fully support.....until she has made everything she can and the duct tape bracelets are no longer "cool".
Please feel free to post some pics of your child's creations. I am also looking for good websites with project ideas and local stores that sell the supplies. Keep ME posted. I would LOVE the feedback!
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