It seems like ages since we’ve simply ‘played’ in our garden. For months and months it’s been too cold, windy and wet. But, finally, there’s more finer days and the grass is actually drying out enough between drenches for us to give it a good mow. We can actually put down a picnic rug and sit on it without sinking into the mud. And this trio of trouble (it is so hard to get a decent photograph of all them at the same time!) are delighted to be playing in the garden.
This Saturday was a perfect day at home. We did venture out briefly, for the girls to have a roller blade along the parade at Lyall Bay, but they didn’t have their hearts in it and so we retreated home for lunch – which was the best thing we could have done. We spent the whole afternoon enjoying the garden.
It was a fabulous day of good ‘ole family fun. We started with a Skype video-call to ‘Chicken’ Grandma & Grandad in the UK and then ramped up ‘Disney’ Sing Star at 8am for a sing-a-long. After half an hour Dan and I were in need of good coffee. He nipped down to the wonderful Queen Sally’s Diamond Deli (check out my review on The Undercover Bloggers) and came back with a plate of scrumptious Danish tarts to accompany the coffee. Perfect!
With caffeine fueling me on I asked the girls to play whilst Mummy and Daddy caught up on a few necessary jobs. They set up a giant, chalk-drawn snakes and ladders game in the garage whilst we cleared out the car (and rediscovered the floor), put the hoover round and got the washing on. Unfortunately there were a few scuffles over rules and some redirection of energy was required – hey presto – we ended up with two volunteers to wash down the outside of the car!
Having done such a sterling job on the chores in the morning we had the whole afternoon to play (which we mostly did – as well as mowing the lawn and stringing up a couple of rope swings on the boughs of the Norfolk Pine).
The girls were so happy to play for hours in the garden. They played until dusk and it was magic to hear their laughter and have the doors and windows open to the fresh air. Hide and seek, climbing in the tree den, swinging on rope swings… all good ‘ole family fun.
For wonderful ideas on play visit Childhood 101: We Play: For Play Ideas that Work
