Parental Pride (or, Builder's Challenge)

Brickarmor

This is certainly not limited to parents per se, just a discussion of unorthodox or surprising building techniques kids can come up with, and perhaps offering a challenge to seasoned builders. Considering the outpouring of "guilt" I thought this might be a welcome change of pace.

Okay, my 6 yr old wanted to build a trap door that fell in when a Lego man got on it, delivering him to whatever lurked below. The only set we have that uses the trap door is #8061 Gateway of the Squid, and the trap door (mysteriously, not to say illogically) opens upward. He did not want to have to do anything to "release" the door, as I suggested using a rod to hold it up and pulling it out, but no. He spent a long time experimenting and what he finally came up with blew me away: simple, elegantly so, and nothing I ever would have imagined. These are the pieces for the trap door itself (I'm on an iPad and can't upload actual pictures):

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30042
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30041

So how would you do it? I'd like to see what anyone could come up with. And if something like this exists in a set already I wouldn't be surprised, but I can't download and check the sixty-something sets that have these pieces! Later today or tomorrow I'll post what he came up with, but I really hope to solicit some ideas from you all. And stories, anecdotes, examples, whatever else is "on topic" and makes sharing this pastime with children a real pleasure (unlike, say, sitting through 200% of the movies made for children...). Thanks!

Brickarmor

By popular demand... these photos show how he solved the problem.
Anybody else?

StuBoy

Wow, that's a pretty awesome solution, love it how kids always seem to come up with unorthodox or new techniques. My sons are still very young, but my 2 year old came up with a way of placing a minifig on a baseplate with the toes so it looks like he's falling. Don't think it was intentional, but I was amazed that he'd come up with it regardless.

Oldfan

And so, the development of future engineers begins...hopefully they'll remember to save their creativity after they complete 2 decades of schooling!