Across the street from our house is a big field, often our family is running, flying kites or playing ball in the field. One afternoon, Lizzie wanted to try something else. She wanted to build a fort.
Lizzie has the kind of mind that thinks of an idea then goes to her surroundings in order to bring the idea to life. The only available materials in the field were dried palm fronds and some sticks.
Enlisting the help of her sister, Lizzie gathered dried palm fronds to make the tent. Many were laying on the ground but some they had to pull from the short palm trees growing next to the fence line that divides the field from the Post Office next door.
After several attempts to lean the fronds together only to have them fall, I stepped in to help. I had the girls get the tallest straightest stick they could find. I asked Evelyn to dig a hole in the ground to help stabilize the stick. Once the stick would stand on its own, I showed them how to lean the palm fronds against the stick for balance. After a few more tries of balancing the palm fronds against each other and then adding more to fill in the holes, Lizzie had a tent.
Evelyn added a pretend campfire of sticks. The kids played camping and house until it was time to go home for dinner.
Lizzie has a creative mind and watching her creations come to life always amazes me.
And one never knows when that will the ability to build a tent will come in handy!
Lizzie has the kind of mind that thinks of an idea then goes to her surroundings in order to bring the idea to life. The only available materials in the field were dried palm fronds and some sticks.
Enlisting the help of her sister, Lizzie gathered dried palm fronds to make the tent. Many were laying on the ground but some they had to pull from the short palm trees growing next to the fence line that divides the field from the Post Office next door.
After several attempts to lean the fronds together only to have them fall, I stepped in to help. I had the girls get the tallest straightest stick they could find. I asked Evelyn to dig a hole in the ground to help stabilize the stick. Once the stick would stand on its own, I showed them how to lean the palm fronds against the stick for balance. After a few more tries of balancing the palm fronds against each other and then adding more to fill in the holes, Lizzie had a tent.
Evelyn added a pretend campfire of sticks. The kids played camping and house until it was time to go home for dinner.
Lizzie has a creative mind and watching her creations come to life always amazes me.
And one never knows when that will the ability to build a tent will come in handy!