I was looking for something to do inside with the kids. It has been over 100 degrees for more than 40 days here in Austin. My mom saved my Fashion Plates, so I got them out for E and C to play with. This was one of my all-time favorite toys! I was never much of an artist, but I loved to color. I had forgotten about all of the textures on the back of some of the plates. I got the pink set first. You can tell the fashion in the blue set is a little “funkier” and came slightly later. I still want to play with these. What a great low-tech toy. Now if I could just get my hands on the “boy” version, the Mighty Men and Monster Maker. The kids would go crazy for making monsters.
Textures
I totally had these! I looooved them.
OMG!
AMY!
Dude!
My sister had Fashion Plates as a kid, and I *rarely* got to use them. I coveted them. I can totally remember all of the plates you show here – like I was looking at them yesterday!
I’m so coming over and playing with yours. If you’ll let me. 😉
We need to put together a fashion plate outfit and turn it in to an embroidery pattern! Fun!
Fashion Plates Party! My mom is so good to have saved them so nicely. The original rubbing crayon is still in there!
One of my favorite childhood activities.
I have no idea what happened to them – wonder if they’re hanging around my Mom’s house.
what a great thing to still have around!
i just noticed some in a catalog i got:
http://www.toystogrowon.com/sku183
(note – yours are wayy cooler)
one thing i saw at wild connections in SW austin (butterfly place) was bug rubbing plates, which i thought were really cool, but my son seemed pretty nonplussed.
I just found something similar from Melissa & Doug! http://www.melissaanddoug.com/fashion-design-activity-kit