The world of Woof Woof Doggy Bone was born on March 13, 2020. Schools were shutting down, forcing children to idle their time away within the confines of their homes. Naturally, Justice and Harrison Krauss, ages 10 and 7, decided to escape the hard reality by creating one of their own – one free of COVID-19 and social distancing and masks. One where they could create the characters, plot lines and rules of conduct.
Woof Woof Doggy Bone – or Woof Woof for short – is comprised of LEGOs. Many of them are miniature dogs. And it’s since sprawled throughout the Krausses’ southern Illinois home. There’s “The Underworld” (“because basement sounds weird,” Justice said) and “The Bedland” upstairs (aka “Comfy World,” according to Harrison). Then there’s “Spiderman Planet,” the middle floor and also the capital of Woof Woof.
The square-footage is necessary considering Woof Woof’s population consists of “about a million, a gazillion,” characters, Justice said, some of whom are invisible.
The past year has changed child play in dramatic ways – stuffed animals in quarantine, pretend COVID-19 vaccines and alternate realities like Woof Woof Doggy Bone that are immune from deadly viruses. Experts say this shift is a normal and healthy way for kids to escape or understand reality.
Is my child’s play concerning?
Laura Lessard, a professor at the University of Delaware with a background in epidemiology, said her 4-year-old daughter started…
