Happy Horse Farm ~ Magic of Childhood

I sometimes just sit back and watch the play unfold. Adults don't always need to facilitate the play. Children should facilitate the play. What happens next is pretty much magical.

Since I won't be with the kiddos for Easter, we gave them our gifts early. A couple new animals, new fence, and books.

The Happy Horse Farm was developed and came to life right before my eyes. "I have a new pony. Her name is Honey. She likes apples and laying down. She is friends with the barn cat." -G, age 4

Childhood is a short time. Cherish it. Nurture it. Put your phone, ipad, laptop down...and be present.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Horse Valentine's Day Party Lunch

We are a little obsessed with horses here in this horse!!!

 

 Two weeks ago, a certain 4 year old began planning (she's a planner!) a Horse Valentine's Day Party Lunch, so...

 We made cookies and collected ALL the horses we had.  My husband found all the Breyer horses on clearance at a Meijer on night and bought all he could! :)  We had all the Schleich horses already in our collection.

 "Kitties should be invited too, because kitties and horses are friends and kitties hang around the barn all the time." -G

While she was at preschool for the morning, Little Sister and I put this together.  Well, Little Sister rearranged everything. twice. I can't wait to see her face when she gets home.

Have a fun & playful day!
Mel

Size doesn't matter

 Size doesn't matter...I know what you're thinking.  But when it comes to play, size doesn't matter.  Children do not care about equal proportions when it comes to their playthings.  Yesterday, I came across the above grouping.  It was Papo and Schleich and Lego horses with Lego Friends as the horses' caretakers in a Breyer barn.  And it was magical.

 Here, Papo polar bears play harmoniously with Duplo and Little People polar bears.  Children naturally categorize and group like items.  And it's okay.  Kids don't have to have all the same brand or the entire playset of something.  I have found that the less the play is directed, the more the imagination kicks into high gear.

Why is that important?  Play is learning.  Let me say that again. Play IS learning.  As a child acts out a scene where the Lego Friend take care of the horses, it is imagination at work.  But it's also language - they are creating a story, acting out a scene, using vocabulary, describing what they are doing, engaging.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert Einstein  Now, who's going to argue with genius Albert Einstein??? :)  Play is important - uninterrupted, unscripted, undirected.