Sculptures in space

A minor incident in our local park last week unexpectedly brought back some happy memories. Alfie, my four-year-old son, accidentally let go of the string attached to the balloon he had just been given and it quickly disappeared into the blue sky, leaving him in tears. As I reassured him that the balloon was off on an adventure to the moon, I was reminded of the hours I spent as a child, patiently transforming boxes and balloons into rockets and planets. I suddenly realised that the best way to stop the tears was to introduce Alfie to the wonders of papier mâché.

If you consult any passing four-year-old before removing the recycling, you will quickly discover that what resembles rubbish to you looks more like potential inter-planetary craft to them. Some plastic bottles seem like they have been purposefully designed to live another life as a spaceship. Exciting transformations can take place in a matter of minutes, but if you want to ensure that the finished results of the craft survive past playtime then papier mâché is the answer. The following are a selection of ideas that could help to reposition your setting in a galaxy far, far away…