Laundry inspiration

I'm not really sure that there is such a thing as laundry inspiration! Washing that needs to be soaked. Clothes that need to be ironed. Washing that needs to be re-washed because the strawberry stains didn't come out the first time. Clothes that need to be handwashed. Clothes that absolutely cannot, must never go in the dryer but accidentally did. Clothes that were nearly dry from hanging on the line which are now wet because of a sudden shower.

So today, in the midst of a wet winter washing day, I’m focusing on four washing books, well chosen by Grandma for Annalise, to make me smile.

“Washing Line” by Jez Alborough - this is “a flip-flap book’, with bright, humorous pictures of animals waiting to put on their clothes which are hanging on the line.

“What are we going to do now we’re all wearing our dry clothes?” asked the flamingo, the orang-utan, the mouse and the giraffe.

Just guess what the elephant decides to do next!

“Mrs McNosh Hangs up her Wash” by Sarah Weeks – Mrs McNosh not only hangs up all of her clothes but

She hangs up the dog
And his dish and his bone.
She gets a wrong number
And hangs up the phone.

I think toddlers will find the odd things hanging on the line very amusing.

“Miss Llewellyn-Jones” by Elaine Forrestal – the repetition in this book makes it appealing for little ones.

Miss Llewellyn-Jones hung her jeans out to dry. The wind blew. The pegs snapped. Her jeans flew … flip flap.

The humour lies in the illustrations which show just exactly where her jeans flew.

“Zippity Zebra and the Windy Day” by Claire Henley – this book has ‘fuzzy’ black and white striped clothes to find on every page – it’s nice to read a book where kids are encourage to point and touch.

We made our own washing line picture, because somehow a miniature washing line and tiny clothes and pegs just seem like a lot more fun than a grown-up laundry basket full of ironing! We used the back of a large cereal box, and glued on our painted picture. A holepunch made a hole on the two short sides, and we threaded a string through, using sticky tape at the back. Two icy-pole sticks for the supports. Thanks to Grandma for the tiny clothes and pegs!