SHADE MATTERS in Florida !!!    PLUS, it is amazing to watch a child take a little bit of personal space and make it their own little haven of imagination and relaxation.  I’m sure you and your child will delight in setting up and enjoying a simple summertime tent.

Put a basket by the door that includes all that is needed to accessorize the space so that it is easy to take out and bring back in.  Include a blanket as ground cover, pillows & stuffed friends, as well as books and other fun items.  In our Kindermusik Backyard Adventures, we are creating a Backyard Kit that includes the child’s art on the back of song cards, as well as other items that enhance backyard play.  Watch for another article about our fun crafts, contents, and ideas for expanding your Backyard Kit.

I would suggest that this kind of space opens the opportunity for imaginative play, as well as creative moodling, ”that lovely inactivity that leads to moments of creativity and inspiration.  It is through moodling, that is, stopping the constant rattle in our brain, stopping the continuous motion in our lives in order to allow our true thoughts to catch up, that we transform the universe into a place of miracles.”

A personal play space is a perfect place for a child, or an adult, to find and perfect their own personal moodling methods.   One of our family’s favorite moodling activities is to sing songs we know, then come up with our own words to the melodies, to fit what we are doing, or want to do, or how we feel, or what we daydream about.

SO, how will YOU create your Backyard Haven?

If you have a clothes line and clothespins, you are set to make this an easy set up whenever you want !

Or perhaps you can move the swings out of the way and throw a sheet over the swing set, tying them at the ends to hold it in place… but that takes away your swings for the moment.

Most folks don’t have a clothes line, but there may be permanent structures, like a tree and a fence, near each other that a rope can be attached to.  Check out the details of this Simple Summertime Tent.

Maybe you have some low hanging branches.  I love this pic from digthischick.net

.

.

.

In our “On the Road” adventures, one of our destinations is to go CAMPING !  Any of these tents sets up the scene for excellent pretend camping…  gathering sticks for a pretend fire – perfect to sit around and tell stories or sing songs, using binoculars to check out the wildlife, going on a “hike” to find natural treasures, and playing games or reading books in the tent.

Need something that can stand on it’s own?   Build a frame !    That may be as simple as gathering some chairs and using clothespins or spring held clamps to hold the sheet in place.

This Thrifty Fun post gives specific instructions on building a frame, as well as completing simple sewing projects to make it more long-lasting, and easy to take down to clean.

Shade

Coziness

Private Get-away

Open to adapt for Imaginative Play

Opportunity to Moodle

PLEASE SHARE how YOU create a fun shady play haven for your family?  And how do you and your children use it?