Weaving with nature

Take an old garden trellis. 

Add a few baskets of garden cuttings (This is a great activity to do if you are pruning!)

Weave them in and out through the trellis.

Get your weave on outdoors - naturally!

it's playtime - make a bug world

Welcome to another week of  It's Playtime.   

Playful Picks

Little kids love bugs, so why not create their very own bug world?  Picklebums did just that.

Meet my Partners in play:

Messy Kids,

The Imagination Tree ,

hands on: as we grow and

QuirkyMomma

What have you been playing this week?

Linking up is simple.

And they're off! School readiness, our style.

Every year in term 4, we watch our older children spread their wings and start to fly.

They become masters of their preschool universe.

They are strong and secure in the relationships with their friends, their teachers and their surroundings.

Their play is complex, independent and intricate.

They can do things themselves.  Practical things.  Self-help things.  Problem solving things.  Conflict resolution things.  Negotiation things.

In fact, if we have done our job well, they rarely need us at all.

They want more, different, bigger, newer, harder, riskier, faster, longer and higher.

They climb - high.  They hang upside down.  They somersault.  They run - fast.

They are at ease.

They love to tease us and joke with us -and to push us.

Their artwork is detailed, and often tells a story.

They push boundaries and limits.

They stand up for themselves.

They are curious.

They question.

They like games with rules.

They build cities with blocks and create magic out of boxes and tape.

They look after the younger ones - mostly.

They tell us what they want, in no uncertain terms.

They take on challenges.

They experiment with power.

They persist.

They play with words.

They write letters.  They write their names.  They write books.

They create their own play spaces.

They teach us things.

They undertake feats of complex engineering.

They tell us when we need to water the garden, feed the worms, pick the beans or feed the chooks.

The delight in 'real work'.

They roll their eyes but then get on with the business of packing away the block area or the sandpit like a well oiled machine.

They make us laugh.

They are explorers, artists, scientists, mathematicians, authors, actors, musicians, athletes, dancers.

They give each other comfort and support - most of the time.

They can be still, and are learning that sometimes they need to be.

They know what they like.  They know what they can do.  They will tell you that they are good at everything.

They still like a cuddle, but then they are off again.

They like nonsense.  The sillier, the better.

They strut.

They run through the bush, naming the landmarks along the way.  The creek, the short cut, jump rock, the cave, boat rock.

They spend the days as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, babies, cats, dogs, lions, ninjas, superheroes, aliens, princesses, astronauts and pirates.

They are special.  They are needed.  They belong.

They don't just belong.  They own the joint!

"You are going to cry, and cry and cry when I leave preschool." said one five year old matter of factly.

We tease them that we won't let them leave.  "You have to.  You have to let us go."

And we do.  They're ready.

preschool shell painting

We love to paint on 'stuff'.

Painting on paper is all fine and dandy, but it is nice to paint on something different every now and then.

Nature has some wonderful 'stuff' to paint on, and as an added bonus it is free!  We paint rocks, seed pods, bark, leaves, branches, sticks - anything we can get our hands on really.

Here we painted shells:

Each shell is like a mini blank canvas.  The are small so they can be fiddly to paint and require a dainty touch - all terrific for the all important fine motor development.

We filled a glass jar full of the colourful shells, tied a ribbon around the top and popped it on the sign in table.   Other suggestions include:

• keep them as treasures to bury in the sandpit or hide around the outdoor area
• pop them in the block area
• use them in imaginative play scenes
• glue them to stiff board or wood in shapes and designs
• thread them with fishing line and hang from driftwood to create a mobile.

Any other ideas?

12 Top Outdoor Play Space Pinterest Boards

Are you looking for ideas for outdoor play spaces?  

Here are 12 Pinterest boards chock a block full of inspiration for irresistible outdoor spaces for either the home or the early childhood setting:

1. Outdoor Spaces @ Mia Cavalca
2. Outdoors @ Francine Cory
3. Mud Kitchens and Water Walls @ Francine Cory
4. Outdoor Play Link Up Ideas
5. Outdoor Play @ Mama Pea Pod
6. Kids' Gardens @ Nurture Store
7. Natural School Yards @ Brenda Hillenius
8. Outdoor Play Environments @ April White
9. Backyard Nature Play Spaces @ Debi Huang
10. Playground Ideas @ Karen Green
11. Outdoor Classroom Ideas @ Play Based Classroom
12. Learning Spaces @ Kierna Corr

And in a spot of shameless self promotion, here are a couple of my own:

• Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments
• Backyard Play Spaces

Do you have a Pinterest board of your own that you'd like to share?  

turn a boat into a garden bed

We took the kids to visit the local tip.  Or to use the fancy name, The Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre.

Whilst there, I spied these old boats turned into funky garden beds.

What a playful addition they would make to a children's natural playscape.

In fact, we might have something just like it at school!

Of course, we don't all have old boats lying around.  So why not do what we did and visit your local tip.  You never know what you will find!

Have you used something unusual as a garden planter?

it's playtime - play outside!

Welcome to another week of  It's Playtime.   

Playful Picks

I hope you are in the mood for some outdoor fun, because this week's playful picks will be sure to have the little people in your world wanting to head out and play:

Leaf Maze from Happy Hooligans

Spider Cave Maze from Adventures at Home with Mum

And last but not least,

Sticks!  The original wooden toy from Fireflies and Mudpies

Meet my Partners in play:

Messy Kids,

The Imagination Tree ,

hands on: as we grow and

QuirkyMomma

What have you been playing this week?

Linking up is simple.