Play Tray
Tuesday 08 March 2011 - 14 Comments »
Step 1. Hammer the wood.
SquiggleDad helped, of course.
Step 2. Make your purchases.
Green rocks. Small plant. Mini trolley. Happy boy.
Outdoor
Backyard Lifecycles
2 Comments »
Friday 11 March 2011
We {heart} our nature cubby. Not only does the leafy roof provide shade for the dirt kitchen, but it also provides a home for many garden creatures. The plant is a Monkey Rope Vine (Parsonsia straminea). Monkey Rope is common around Brisbane, and it is an interesting (and fast growing) vine thanks to its adventitious roots. These are roots which come out of the branches and stems of a plant. Monkey Rope is also one of the host plants of the Common Australian Crow (Euploea core) butterfly.
Fantastic Fungus
Friday 18 February 2011 - 5 Comments »
This summer has been so damp here in Brisbane, and while the resulting mould inside the house is NOT fun, the fungi growing outside has been amazing!
The great thing about having multiple species in one area is that the kids have been able to compare them. We’ve been able to talk about
colour
size
shape
smell
and identify similarities and differences. We haven’t touched the fungi in our yard. Many...
Playscape: Nature Cubby
Monday 10 January 2011 - 10 Comments »
This year I am working hard to improve our backyard, and create a playscape rich in natural opportunities for learning, discovering, playing and growing.
When we added our Dirt Kitchen to the backyard last year, you might remember that I started training a vine into a roof of sorts. Here’s an image of it in August, 2010:
It was growing so well that it began to weigh the strings down, so I started thinking about...
Review: Smart Trike A Smart Choice
Friday 10 December 2010 - 6 Comments »
This post is sponsored by The Mother Media
I don’t buy a lot of toys for the kids. For inside play I love wooden toys and creative materials. Outside we have a few trucks and some digging materials, but not many “toys” as such. I’d prefer the kids dig a hole or climb a tree! When we visit little friends for play dates though I have to admit that my son does love to ride their bikes. So...
Sticks and Stones
Tuesday 23 November 2010 - 11 Comments »
I blogged recently about the awesome time my kids had building cubby houses with children of various ages. (If you missed the post you can check it out here: Outdoor Multi-Age Play) One of the comments I received was from Brooke, and it really got me thinking…
Then Jenny posted a wonderful entry on the same topic, “A Playground Of Loose Parts!“ (She also has another post on Loose Parts if you...
Beach Holiday (and Toddler Tips)
Wednesday 10 November 2010 - 9 Comments »
We took a spontaneous long weekend away to the Sunshine Coast, which is only an hour from home for us. All four of us really needed the time away from everything, we shared some lovely moments on the beach together:
The boys learned about water and waves.
We explored the rock pools (one of our all time favourite family activities).
We discovered new and interesting creatures: hermit crabs, fish, molluscs… and...
Outdoor Multi-Age Play
Tuesday 02 November 2010 - 8 Comments »
Thanks to a recent pupil-free day, my children had the opportunity to have a play date in our backyard with a group of kids of varying ages (from 2 – 12). I encouraged them to make cubby houses, and gave them them access to the following materials:
one sheet
string
scissors
anything already in the backyard (rocks, sticks, bamboo, etc)
It was amazing to watch the kids interact. The boys and girls naturally...
Splish, Splosh, Splash!
Tuesday 26 October 2010 - 13 Comments »
In case you haven’t heard, we’ve had rain in Brisbane. Lots of rain.
The kind of rain that floods
backyards
and kindergartens
and laundries (sigh).
But you know me.
I’m a puddle half-full kind of girl…
Without heavy rain:
we might never wear gumboots.
Without heavy rain:
we might never know the joy of jumping in puddles.
Without heavy rain:
we might never discover some of nature’s secrets.
Without...
Stick Sculpture
Wednesday 13 October 2010 - 10 Comments »
After Mr 2′s birthday there were lots of new and exciting gifts to open. Several toys were wired into boxes with clear coated wires about 20cm each in length. I kept them, figuring they would come in handy for something. It’s a teacher thing – we can’t help ourselves!!
The kids collected a nice bunch of sticks from the backyard the other day, and we played around with them for a while before...
