Kid play in our garden

My three playing under the tree slide in our backyard. A pruned branch from another garden task adds to the magic.

My kids love to be outside. Give them a few sticks or an unwanted branch (that I finally pruned) and they are happy for hours. When our old tree had to come down (tears) I horded away logs and chips from it for the kids to play with later. Every little thing outdoors is an invitation to explore the world and imagine what they might like to create. Make a place for them to hide and/or climb, add some loose objects - like wood ships, stones, shells or sand - and see what happens!

Grace sniffy those smelly allium! They are from the onion family after all.

Logan is stirring up some "salad" in a discarded berry container with an old bubble wand. Who says it can't be done?!?

Here he is collecting some more salad fixings, most of which came from my yard clippings that morning.

Grace has a nice little shelter constructed of umbrellas. They use the wood pieces for just about everything - plates, Frisbees, and I know not what.

Here the girls are reaching something from the bush with a broom, which is another favorite outdoor tool.

The girls row their "boat" log somewhere while Bella bunny looks on from her hutch. This log is often also a horse (another piece from that beloved tree).

Logan is busy watering something in the back woodland with all of his tools ready at hand.

A bit of civility for the adventure: the girls have prepared a beautiful tea cake.

Wild roses, chives, ninebark blooms and columbine on the rocks with a log round for a platter.

And of course there is just enjoying the flowers :)

To read more about our tree-turned-fort-and-slide, see last weeks post Tree Trunk Crow's Nest and Slide.