Sunday 6 March 2011

playground in the woods

Our monthly home ed meet at the nature reserve was a cold one. Just as we were starting to enjoy rising temperatures they fell again :(
The first activity was to go birdwatching so we took a walk down to the river. I don't think that the younger kids were looking in the right places :P
Champ and Boo had the right idea though.
I overheard them discussing ways to cross the river :) It was soooo cold that we didn't stay for long.
We headed back up to the hut to have lunch and warm up.
Here the girls are discovering which birds have the best feet for swimming.

We felt much warmer after lunch. Kiki and her friend even went fishing but they didn't catch anything :)
So they tried somewhere else! lol they did find a dried up fish on the bank that Kiki said she saved by throwing it back.
We all then went to to the woods where the kids were set a task of building a playground just using sticks, logs, tarpaulin and rope. I have to say that my pictures didn't capture the day and the wonderful creations at their best, but it is a flavour of our experience :)

Googs helped some friends build a tepee
Kiki had a go on a brilliantly sturdy rope swing.
Boo and her friend tied two ropes around three trees...

To make this.

Champ wanted to build the biggest shelter. I could see the trouble he was heading for - running out of very long branches, but he was determined to try!

Finished tepee :)))
Look at all the busy-ness
Rope and stick ladder. Discovering that the quality of sticks used is important for this :)
more swinging fun.
and yet more! There was another swing made, which I didn't take a picture of, that was a made out of a larger log, a two-seater.
The ranger helping to fashion a sturdier ladder.
Happy playing children.
Another rope course.
Still finding long branches :)
Eventually the boys decided to go with a smaller shelter and built this one in no time at all.



It was SUCH good fun. The kids all loved the freedom of being allowed to design and create their own structures that could be enjoyed by all. I just wish that I had taken pictures of all the creations but we were all so busy!!! :D
And when leaving, the kids spotted, and were delighted by, seeing the snow drops!

5 comments:

cypress said...

I've been enthralled by your recent posts...this one is the icing on the cake. What a wonderful place in the woods to build and play and be. I am loving your blog...very sustaining during these last few straggly weeks of winter :) Thanks for sharing all these glimpses (and I can't wait to meet Pip!)

Moogie said...

What a lovely comment! Thank you so much :)
Yes, we had great fun and I am hoping to get some rope for play in our garden although we don't have many trees.
We can't wait until Pip arrives either! only 5 more days!!!! Yay :D

dorinalouise said...

morgana was really impressed with the playground building. your nature preserve is the best. what a fun and creative day.

Moogie said...

And so easy to do, Dorina and Morgana! Just got to buy some rope :)
x

Kelly said...

What a fantastic day. So, so much fun.