While unpacking my autumn decorations, my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter stumbled upon some paper mache pumpkins I painted several years ago and immediately fell in love with them. So off to the patio we went, armed with 2 painted pumpkins, a drill for me and a stub handled Phillips-Head screwdriver for her. It was the perfect late summer day project for us as we chatted about the seasonal changes that were coming in the days ahead. I drilled the holes and she poked the screwdriver into each one to even out the edges. Little did she know that I was enjoying spending some quality time with her while she was working on fine motor skills as she concentrated on completing her task. The creative payoff extends far beyond the finished rewards of making fun usable items with your kids, grandkids or students. They not only learn to focus as they complete the task at hand as you talk about things like shapes, color and imaginative uses for repurposing items, but it's always a thrill wh
