Rodent City

The Weasel family's front walkway

The Wessels' house

Rodent City is by far the greatest thing any kid has ever produced. Okay, that's going a bit far I know, but I tell you, Rodent City is really, really awesome. Inhabited by families of imaginary rodents (hamsters, chipmunks, mice, sugar gliders*, chinchillas, guinea pigs, rats, and squirrels), Rodent City began as simple wooden houses and has developed into a thriving mini-metropolis that occupies much of the wooded portion of our back yard.

Rodent City was initially begun by our kids several years back, but soon their friends joined in, each bringing a new family to the town. And like any frontier town, as the population grows, so does the need for services. Currently, Rodent City has a town hall, school, hospital, bank, grocery store, post office, silver mine (silvery mica is the Rodent City currency, don't you know), library, toy store, landscaping business and more. There have been three weddings, three mayors elected, and the town survived a mulching of the backyard which sent the kids into a panic.

Twiggy's (the flying squirrel) schoolhouse showing the students' desks (the rocks with slate pieces for writing on)

Rodent City food consists of nuts, berries, salads, fish from the neighbor's pond and almost any plant that can be scrounged for delectable salads. Transportation in and around the town is provided by birds (like cars, there are a variety of options from which to choose, each with its own features and benefits). Recently, Rodent City has expanded beyond our property to include a number of lodges (vacation homes) for families when they want to get away from the hubbub of city life. I'm probably missing a ton of things, but I think you get the idea of how complex the town has gotten.

The Sweetpaws' wedding with rows of tables and acorn caps for bowls and acorns stacked up for the feast!

I have to admit, I was skeptical when I first heard rumors of a "Rodent City" being built in our back yard, but have grown to love the amazing creativity involved and the way the kids work together during their many hours constructing the town (real and imagined). Now I'm more than happy to give them scraps of wood and rocks knowing they'll turn them into something wonderful and sad to think that someday they'll grow out of it and move on to other things (though I hope that isn't for a while!).

Rodent City Families
The Weasels (mice)
The Robinsons (hamsters)
The Tiptoes (chipmunks)
The Sweetpaws (chinchillas)
The Wessles (mice, hamsters, gerbils)
The Kasiskes (guinea pigs)
The Bushytails (chipmunks)
The Berrys (sugar gliders)
The Blakes (hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchilla)
The Whiskers (guinea pigs)
The Wilhelms (squirrels)

*Yes, they know that sugar gliders are marsupials and not rodents, but they seemed to fit well into the town.

Some of the stick furniture the kids made for Rodent City

Close-up of the very cool, working rocker

See more pictures of Rodent City here.