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Weekend Wanderings…Conquering the Sand!

by The Empowered Educator 16 Comments

If there is one thing i learnt from this weekend it's that 4 cubic metres of sand takes an awful lot of heavy wheelbarrow loads to fill a sandpit!

Oh my…everything is hurting tonight but am so pleased to finally have at least one part of the backyard landscaping complete!

The toddler twosome had lots of fun on the sand mountain and then digging with their new shovels and filling wheelbarrows to help…although it did take longer it was a joy to watch them participating and taking their helping roles so seriously. It also wore them out nicely ๐Ÿ˜‰

Look at that pure joy as she sinks into the now deep sand…this girl of ours has travelled a long way since throwing up when she first touched sand!

A little garden edging brought cheaply from our local Bunnings provided a fun space for animals to explore and cars and tractors to move little gnomes and treasures around through the sand….

As we delivered wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of sand we watched a toddler imagination at play and marvelled at how the toddler twosome seem to be growing before our eyes….where is the time going?
I love to set up little play prompts like those in the photos below…they take little time but encourage and extend play so wonderfully! I try to use what we have around the house…no need to buy expensive props…toddlers don't appreciate them! The bamboo edging was a little ‘gift' for the new sandpit!
Before i got around to setting it up in the sand Ruby found it perched on our table rock in the middle of the sandpit and decided to make use of it!
Up onto the rock, into the circle, she sits down and wraps the fence back around herself…pleased with her discovery she unwraps and moves off to play somewhere new!
I love to watch the progress she is making and the love and enthusiasm for life she has….I love her creative, musical side and often find myself wondering is one day she will be a dancer or singer….the joy of the unknown!
So very proud of His Patient Self for building such a wonderful natural playspace for our girls….I know there will be many fun moments spent here and hopefully many family day care children to enjoy it too!
We found a new use for our favourite spool table….works so much better than the stand we usually use!

The landscaping jobs continue and i think we are really starting to see some progress now although i really am growing a little despondent about all that red dirt and lack of grass!

The photos below show me looking up from the sandpit towards the new area at the very top that will be for the chooks…we are moving them because i want the family day care children to be able to enjoy them too. As you come further down the hill i am going to put in a special little Kid's Vegie Patch that children in care can tend to, learn about gardening and hopefully take home some treats to share with Mum & Dad!

His Patient Self was busy building the new chicken coop and constructing a fancy egg collection box…assuming the eggs follow his directions and roll correctly into the chute….we will see!

There was a little treat at the shopping centre…..i have recently been reflecting on how nice it is to be able to take them both out on my own now without using the pram (which Ruby hates)….still difficult and stressful trying to keep them by my side but no longer impossible!

A little indoor crafting with some sensory challenges included…more about this activity later in the week!

Some fun in the Autumn sun with an old wooden box and tray found when cleaning out a cupboard…i knew just what i wanted to do with them as soon as i saw them!
A little invitation to play…and rearrange in any way they want to! I don't set these sort of things up all the time but it was a good way to foster their recent love of imaginary role playing.
Some artificial turf offcuts, some favourite animals and little people and a few of the girls favourite items from recent nature walks and beach visits!

A little wooden tray made by Miss Teen many years ago at school is now a beach and park for a few favourite wooden dolls from the dollhouse and ‘Mr Frog'…so many opportunities for exploration and imagination!

Of course it didn't stay looking like this for long…but to me that is the point…i provided a little invitation for them to play with these props in any way they wanted to!

Miss Dolly seemed to be particularly enjoying her day out on the sand and the little tresures collected on recent trips to the beach.

To me these items also represent the steps Ruby has taken to finally become more comfortable playing and exploring on the beach….

But on this particular weekend…..nothing was more special, more memorable than finishing and seeing the toddler twosome enjoy their first backyard sandpit!

What did you enjoy doing this weekend? Hope you have a lovely week ahead!

Warm Wishes

Filed Under: Let's Get Moving, outside play, sensory play, SPD, toddler twosome, toddlers

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Comments

  1. Enchanted Schoolroom says

    06/05/2013 at 9:09 pm

    I love your little invitation to play with the turf ๐Ÿ™‚
    Have to make one soon…

    Reply
  2. Kate Gribble says

    07/05/2013 at 11:54 am

    It’s wonderful Jode ๐Ÿ™‚ Jack keeps telling us then when we move into our new house we are going to make a “big BIG sandpit” ๐Ÿ™‚ I am so so looking forward to it. We’ve never had our own house before and so haven’t been able to do anything like this before. I bet the girls love it ๐Ÿ™‚ Such fun. – I bet Miss Teen has fun in there too ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  3. Be A Fun Mum says

    07/05/2013 at 9:19 pm

    That sandpit is HUGE and all kinds of wonderful!

    Reply
  4. Elise Ellerman says

    08/05/2013 at 1:56 am

    What a wonderful new play space you have created. So many fun and memorable times will be enjoyed there. Elise @ Creative Play Central

    Reply
  5. Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky says

    08/05/2013 at 8:11 pm

    What an awesome sand play area you have now! I love all the progress photos, that’s all part of the fun ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  6. Deborah Alter-Rasche says

    09/05/2013 at 1:24 am

    That is such a lovely sandpit! Love the rocks around it and that bamboo mini fence thinggy looks great. haha. My kids just love playing in sand so it’s well worth the time and money setting a good one up I think ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  7. Rez P says

    09/05/2013 at 2:43 am

    I love your sand pit. We just have a little store brought sand pit and I think this is a much bigger and better idea that will last longer and provide so many more play options. Ill definitely pin this one and put it on my ever growing to do list ๐Ÿ™‚
    Renee @ adventuresathomewithmum

    Reply
  8. Kate Lloyd says

    09/05/2013 at 12:05 pm

    Gee, it looks like you guys were busy with your landscape gardening. Love the sandpit. I’m sure there are many more play hours going to be spent there.

    Reply
  9. Tania says

    09/05/2013 at 9:59 pm

    I never fail to admire your creativity with your little ones Jodie. Your designs looks like they are off a playschool prop set! Love the rock border for the sandpit too.

    Reply
  10. Easy Peasy Kids says

    10/05/2013 at 10:00 pm

    Awesome sandpit, love outside play

    Reply
  11. Boy Mama Teacher Mama says

    11/05/2013 at 4:08 am

    Love the sandpit. I really want to put one in the yard, but haven’t a clue where to start.

    Reply
  12. Happy Whimsical Hearts says

    11/05/2013 at 11:25 am

    What a fantastic sandpit!! And the bamboo edging is a great idea. What a kid friendly space you have for your girls ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  13. Kierna C says

    12/05/2013 at 4:36 pm

    You have been so busy & I love the spool table as an umbrella stand – great idea! Thanks for adding this to the Outdoor Play Party.

    Reply
  14. Coombe Mill says

    13/05/2013 at 12:11 pm

    Sand pits really do soak up the sand. We have just refilled ours here on the farm and it has taken so much sand. Love the little farm too.

    Reply
  15. Catherine says

    16/05/2013 at 12:26 am

    Jode you are doing such a wonderful job preparing for family day care, you will have lots of interested families I’m sure with all of these wonderful activities for them to be involved in better than normal day care that’s for sure. I used to love to see how busy little ones were in the sandpit, I’m sure they could stay in there for hours, just didn’t like all the sand that seemed to get everywhere;) xx

    Reply
  16. Maureen says

    31/05/2016 at 10:44 am

    Hi! I realize this is an old thread- I’m looking for great sandbox sand and yours looks great. What kind is it?

    Reply

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Jodie
Hi, I'm Jode, Mum to twins and a teen, and an early childhood educator.
I love to share ideas & resources for play based learning
Find out more about me here...

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