Mud Pie Kitchen

We have a children's plastic table in the garden, it has been outside for a year.  Last year the children sometimes ate their lunch off it, but this year I bought a bigger and sturdier children's picnic bench specifically for that purpose.  The table sat at the side of the house getting dirtier and dirtier as the months went by.  It was in the way, but I was reluctant to throw it away.  So I decided to put it to use, and create a 'mud pie kitchen' for the children.


I cut back some plants in the flower bed (they were very overgrown and half of them were weeds anyway!) and put the table there with a pot of knives (real ones!), forks and spoons and a couple of bowls.  I pointed it out to the children and they were very unimpressed!  It got ignored!


Then earlier this week I got some old furniture and kitchen bits n bobs from my Nanna's house - an original 1960's formica coffee table, a very twee 1990's nest of tables (circa 1991 Argos?), 3 colanders, a plastic mixing bowl, a tupperware cereal container and a couple of wooden spoons.  I set it all up next to the ignored plastic table and waited to see if the children would be enthralled with it - they ignored it again!


So I played with it - I dug up some soil from the garden, I got some water and added it to the soil, I mixed it all up and added an old (empty) snail shell.  The children were disgusted, there were very loud cries of "eurgh!' followed immediately by "can I have a go?"


Yippee!  


The children needed someone to show them that they can actually create mud pies in their mud pie kitchen, the only rules are :

• no living creatures to be added to the mixture
• no pouring the mixture on yourself or anyone else
• no tasting allowed
• please don't bring it into the house!

I didn't manage to get any photos of the children playing with the kitchen as I was too busy watching them (OK, I admit, I was too nervous to leave them unsupervised while I got my camera from inside!), but here are a few photos of the kitchen after they had finished playing with it.

I have a feeling the kitchen is going to be a very used area of the garden  :o)

Childhood doesn't wait!

I came across this poem (it is a bit American-ized (is there such a word?!) but I still think it has important meaning...

Childhood Doesn’t Wait
(Author Unknown)

I was sitting on a bench
while in a nearby mall,
When I noticed a young mother
with two children who were small.

The youngest one was whining,
“Pick me up,” I heard him beg
but the mother’s face grew angry
as the child clung to her leg.

“Don’t hang on to me,” she shouted
as she pushed his hands away,
I wish I’d had the courage
to go up to her and say…

“The time will come too quickly
when those little arms that tug,
Won’t ask for you to hold them
or won’t freely give a hug.

“The day will sneak up subtly
just as it did with me,
When you can’t recall the last time
that your child sat on your knee.

“Like those sacred, pre-dawn feedings
when we cherished time alone
Our babies grow and leave behind
those special times we’ve known.

“So when your child comes to you
with a book that you can share,
Or asks that you would tuck him in
and help him say his prayer…

“When he comes to sit and chat
or would like to take a walk,
Before you answer that you can’t
`cause there’s no time to talk”
Remember what all parents learn
so many times too late,
That years go by too quickly
and that childhood doesn’t wait.

“Take every opportunity,
if one should slip away
Reach hard to get it back again,
don’t wait another day.”
I watched that mother walk away
her children followed near,
I hope she’ll pick them up
before her chances disappear.

Wow - look at that "pummle"!

After our lovely day at the beach a couple of weeks ago we decided to go back again!


The children all enjoyed playing in the sand.

After our picnic we all had an ice cream.

Then we walked to the sea to have a little paddle - the water was surprisingly warm.  J saw the sea and became very excited, shouting "pummles, pummles!"  I explained to J that it wasn't a puddle (J calls puddles pummles), it was the sea - but he couldn't care less - he was allowed to run in it and get very wet!

J was extremely wet, so I took his t-shirt and shorts off him as they were weighing him down - he then had soooo much fun - strangers walking along the beach stopped, watched him and laughed at how much fun he was having!

 (J hasn't fallen over in this photo - he was crawling in the sea, laughing when a wave splashed his face!)

Morph!

We have played with play dough and salt dough lots - there is a tub of play dough available all of the time for the children to play with if they wish.  Today I gave the children something slightly different to challenge their model building skills a bit more - plasticine!  Plasticine is harder for the children to use, it isn't as malleable as play dough as it is harder, the cutters don't work the same.


Straight away T recognised that "this is what Morph is made from!"  T then told me all about his Daddy liking Morph, and described Morph to me perfectly.  He asked if I could make him a Morph...

T then proceeded to create all sorts of wonderful models... aliens, monsters, snakes, a UFO, and a fire stick (the imagination being used was phenomenal) 

Unfortunately Morph came to a tragic end at the hands of J...

So I got my revenge on J by making him some plasticine glasses (which he loved wearing and provided me with lots of laughs!)

Crocky Trail

 I have been to the Crocky Trail quite a few times before, and I always said I wouldn't take childminding children due to the risks involved.  However, as Phil was on holiday from work and was coming out with us for the day, and I only had J in my care, I decided a 1:1 ratio made it as safe as anywhere else (almost!)


Initially Albie and J were a bit shocked by all the screaming and sheer lunacy going on - however they soon got into the spirit of things!


Albie was quite adventurous when he had his Daddy at his side - he is normally a cautious little soul.  

J loved stomping around in the mud and puddles!  

Everyone (apart from me!) had fun sliding and climbing on the obstacles.

Phil and Blue tried to do a 360o turn in the wheel - Phil failed with a big thud, Blue almost made it!

We found some places to hide...

Phil discovered the sinking mud (notice J in the background upset cos Phil just fell thigh deep into the mud!)

We walked along streams and across bridges...

We walked through tunnels..

And when we had finished the trail we all had a scrummy ice cream treat!

Everyone had a lovely day out (despite Albie being stung by 2 wasps) - I stand by my original thoughts in that I wouldn't ordinarily take childminding children to the Crocky Trail, however if I am ever in the position to take 1 child again then I will definitely consider it.

All to ourselves!

It was raining.  Again.  The consensus was that we wouldn't shrink or melt if we got wet, and that an hour out of the house would be good for all concerned!


So we went to the park, and there was only us there - what joy!

I thoroughly recommend going to the park on wet rainy Thursdays - but please don't, as we like having it all to ourselves!