outside

We've been outside all day today as it's a gorgeous sunny day. The husband worked until 2 so after my little rest when he got home I thought we'd do some 'building' in the front yard ( so he could work on our woodshed roof in the back yard ). I found a cardboard box and went through the garage looking for bits and bobs. I found:

nuts, bolts and washers

bottle caps

milk bottle lids

old dresser handles

blue plastic string

wire

some bits of wood from the wood pile 

metal attachments

black tape

we needed:

bluetack

a drill

nails

hammer

pliers

a surface to work on that we didn't mind getting banged about a bit ( an old plastic table )

I showed the children everything I'd collected up for them and asked what they'd like to build. I asked lots of questions like how to attach things, where bits might go, what features/ parts or moving bits they'd like on their creations etc. My girl was way more interested in the whole process, the boy just wanted to hammer nails in : ). I mostly used the hammer but when they wanted a try I showed them how to avoid squashing their fingers by holding the nail with pliers in one hand and using the hammer with the other ( like they're taught at pre school).  I was going to use a glue gun but couldn't be bothered with an extension cord and any other sort of glue from the garage would've been a bit dangerous and 'fumey' if that's even a word ( red squiggles tell me it's not!). I loved the time I spent with them, chatting about their ideas. My girl's creation is of herself wearing a blue skirt and the boy made his version of a panda- they make me happy when I look at them.