summer fun

We have had a great summer so far and yet not done much. We have not taken any great vacations, we have not gone swimming, or field trips. We haven't gotten new toys for the sandbox or water play. We have just let the kids have free time.

Our backyard is big, fenced in, and grass covered. We have trees, a swing set and a trampoline. Now they do use the trampoline but most of the time they go through the small gate to the back backyard, the no man's land, the weed covered, grasshopper infested, junk filled place between our backyard and our garden/orchard area.

This is where they make huts, dig holes, create adventures, and spend the most time. It is crazy. I don't know who invented the idea that we had to create a play space or that we need to spend a lot of money on toys. It certainly wasn't children. They seem to have the most fun inventing their own play, discovering their own play spaces, and creating their own huts. Kids work very hard at play. My boys are actually playing work. Yesterday they were building their new hut. They were arranging very big logs, using their small truck to haul stuff around, cutting down weeds inside their hut to make space. All this in hopes of eventually doing some adventuresome play.

Really our children practice adult skills as they play. I am grateful for our children's play that is truly teaching them to be hard working, creative, cooperative adults. The adults they are copying are their parents. It's a big responsibility. I am hoping to spend more time doing the things I want my children to do and, more importantly, doing whatever I need to do cheerfully. They are watching and learning.