I happened to be browsing tonight through a catalog designed for early childhood classrooms that follow a popular educational philosophy that advocates carefully preparing children’s environment and using specially designed child-sized objects.
Alhough there were several nice, reasonably-priced items that I found appealing, there were a few things that absolutely blew me away.
Honestly, now, is an 18-piece set (apron, soap dishes, dishpan, pitcher, bucket, scrub brush, sponge, soap, drying cloths, and floor cloths), priced at $50, really necessary for a “table-washing activity”? Yes, yes, I know these are designed for classrooms, not homes, but come on, people! Sounds like overkill to me.
But at least that set contains some useful items of value, even though all of them are readily available at any major discount store.
What really takes the cake is the—I kid you not—”Long Black Strip,” which is supposed to serve as a dramatic representation of the time from the “Big Bang” (don’t even get me started) to the first life on Earth. The strip is 5 cm wide and 30 meters long, and life on earth is represented by a narrow white band on the end. What I find most dramatic about this is the price: $50!! For a 5cm x 30m piece of cloth! So what if it’s handwoven cotton with serged edges? A roll of black crepe paper with a strip of masking tape at the end would make the point just as effectively.
Do you know how many books you could buy with $50? Now there’s an educational resource that has its own line-item on my budget.
Mary Jo Tate
Okay, so I think it’s safe to say that I really don’t need to read the catalog you’re referring to! The black strip definitely takes the cake…that’s just crazy… So what’s the name of the catalog you were looking at? 🙂
Marsha
Hi Mary Jo,
Too bad we can’t get a piece of that action, eh? Such a deal. . . I could sew black strips of fabric and sell them to unsuspecting evolutionists for 50.00 each, turn around and use the money to buy books from ICR.
I guess it just goes to show that you if you can believe the earth started by a big bang, you might just believe anything, even in the value of such a insane purchase.
And just think. All those years when I provided cleaning supplies to my children and made them do chores, I was actually giving them a creative expression with the 50.00 price tag.
Enjoying your blog,
Karen
Sorry Mary Jo. I posted that last comment as anonymous. Certainly I did not mean to.
Karen
What a crack up!