X marks the spot

lots of loot

My little Dimples loves Pirates.

Just have a glance through this blog and you will find lots of Pirate inspired play ideas:

 From his Pirate room , to his Pirate birthday party invites , Pirate Party games , Pirate Party Grub to his Pirate theme tree House & fun things like Treasure Hunts & small world sand dough pirate play .

This one is a fun simple outdoor activity that we do often.

Buried Treasure in the back yard sand pit.

Burying the loot using a tonka dump truck

We have a collection of treasure that we use all the time.

It is just a bunch of shiny stuff like....  lucky stones, blue jewels from the craft isle, fake coins from Pirate dress ups, some kids plastic dress up necklaces cut into strands of jewels from the party section of the bargain shop, some fake pearl ribbon cut into strands, old junk jewelry and bits and bobs that I had for some reason kept from my teenage trend years but would never wear again.

A large X gets drawn in the sand pit over the buried treasure

Dimples Draws up a treasure Map, and has to put a Large X that marks the spot.

We have done this so many times that he can now draw perfect X's

Sometimes we get dressed up, all out in Pirate gear and some times he is happy just to pretend.

He announces that we are going to sail the seven seas and hunt for buried treasure, Once we find it we need to hide it from Captain Hook and mark it with a X

Here he is pointing out the X and telling me that is where he has hidden the treasure.

This is a regular game at home, I can speak fluent Pirate now. Adventures Dad was laughing at me last week saying how good my Pirate Tongue is, I quite often break out some Pirate jargon is a rusky Pirate voice to get Dimples to eat all his lunch "Pirate Grub" and if he is not co-operating for some reason and it usual works a treat. He gets in to the Pirate mood and the Pirate goes along with what Ive asked. 

We have played this game so many times and it never fails to bring out Dimples imaginative play.

He runs around the yard pretending to sail the seven seas, see islands and enemy pirates, Captain Hook and the dreaded Croc. He spots light houses and sails through rough storms, gets onto skull Island where there are skull caves that he ducks through and rushed to bury his treasure before anyone can find his secret hiding spot. Then he rolls up his map for safe keeping and sails away.

Its quite simple, yet there are so many possibilities and every time when he re-discovers the treasure, its a completely new game and a completely new treasure hunt.

Our Hidden Happy Camper

Our Hidden Happy Camper is a gag man type of Dummy I guess would be the best description, Dimples and myself made him so he could sit on our property in the bush, under a large Sumac tree in the middle of a paddock, viewable to the road. 

He will be particularly noticeable in Summer and Autumn when the leaves on the tree go from Orange to Red, its the only tree like this in the middle of a very green bush so it stands out as you drive past anyway but now we have something more fun that will catch peoples eye.

Strange?  I know, but I like to think that passes by and visitors get a laugh or are totally confused as to why a man is sitting all on his lonesome in the middle of a paddock with his beer (especially if it happened to be raining at the time).

We threw him together over the weekend, it took me a couple of hours with the help of Dimples.

First we hammered his farm together out of scrap wood.

Using old stockings we stuffed his legs with foam, put some old jeans on him.

Then I used an old towels to wrap around his torso, taped it up and threw on an old shirt, more foam stuffing and a flannelet shirt on top.

Dimples had to cuddle him and sit on his lap at this point, he was quite cuddly.

His hands are simply washing up gloves turned insides out and with wire through them, then stuffed with foam. The wire worked well to turn his fingers into a wave and so we could tie the other around his beer bottle.

Then a old pair of boots tied around the stockings tight and we took him and his head for a drive out to the farm.

There were some strange looks as people seen a random body waving in the back of the Ute.

We used an old dummy head that hair dressers used but you could use one of those kids doll hair play heads or make a scare crow type head with a drawn on face.  Add a hat, a BBQ and a table for his beers to sit on and there you have it. A happy camper.

We sat him in the paddock, he is far enough from the road that you can see him clearly but not well enough to see the details that he is a doll.

He is positioned in a spot so that passers by will see him sitting there but only for a few seconds before they continue on into the bush so they wont have time to turn around and have a good look.  We plan on making a girl in the future. maybe swinging in the tree?

Happy Adventures :)

Magical Gnome Garden

This is Dimples Secret Garden.

It has been a work in progress and our peaceful corner of the yard where mystical talk and magical imagination begins. We add bits here and there, Dimples plays with the gnomes and tells me stories of all the mythical creatures who live in his Secret garden while he swings under the tree.

Come on a Tour of our Magical Gnome Garden....

There is a Hungry Troll that lives under the bridge (of course)
He has claimed many fishing boats that try to sail into his territory.  You must remember to ask permission before you cross his bridge and you will only be allowed to cross if you know the secret word. Only Dimples knows that the secret word is Abra-Cadabra so he is allowed to play with the sunken ship when ever he pleases.

There are fairies living in Dimples garden, although he has never spotted any.  They live in a Large Blue Fairy house with a lovely double wooden door.  This was painted blue, it is just a tree stump cut down the centre and on an angle at the roof. Dimples and I got messy and blue in the process of painting the large trunk. 
These fairies have pet cats and dogs who sit by their door.
They also have a washing line with pegs and a basket so they can hang out their fairies gowns to dry, however they like to hang their clothes out every full moon so we don't get to see what they like to wear.

  

These fairies like to swing on their wooden swing as they sing along to chirping birds but only while no one is around and they laze on the beach in the morning sun, before the humans wake. They have a relaxing sandy beach area with a Umbrella and a hammock.
Dimples often collects shells that he saves and puts on their beach.

Did you know that fairies love to garden?
The fairies in our garden have their very own gardening patch, they use small spades and rakes. They have a tiny watering can and their very special wheelbarrow to help them around their garden.
Dimples loves to "help" them with their garden.

Over the other side of the secret garden there lives a Grumpy Gnome who sells slug skins and aphids.
He has a gorgeous hand crafted door & small log stepping stones that go past some glowing toadstools and some bright blue mushrooms. 
Dimples Helped with the making of the garden, including placing the stepping stones down, the small pebbles and setting up his super cool toadstool seat but there is always lots to finish.

The Grumpy Gnomes path leads past his court yard area and fire place, where he stacks wooden logs & enjoys magical potion by a warm fire at night.

Past his fellow Gnome friends Twig house, they live under a rosemarry plant & need a ladder to get into their white yard. There are 5 little Gnomes who arent like the Grumpy one, these gnomes have great big smiles and enjoy their sunny garden. Dimples loves to get them and trot them along all the paths and the next time he comes to play, they are always back waiting for him in their garden, by their twig house. Hhmmph, I am stumped, I wonder how that happens ;-)

Past a Peaceful hobbits hut, These hobbits enjoy eating their tea under a small hill. Their house is built into the hill. Dimples made this out of paddle pop sticks and generous amounts of glue, I then lined it with plastic before planting it.

Over the trolls fishing hole Bridge (Dont forget to ask permission to cross) and along a pretty blue stepping stone path.  This will take you past the fairies swing and to a fork in the road where a hand crafted wooden sign For Dimples Secret Garden that reads < Trolls fishing Hole - Gnomes lookout >
If you follow the path to the Gnomes look out it leads you to a bamboo ladder that Dimples & I made.

This ladder takes you to the Gnomes look out where the Grumpy fellow sits all day keeping look out for any humans, he does not like humans and will hide as soon as he sees any.

We all know that magical creatures dont like to be seen by humans and hide away when we are about, they particularly like to come out as the sun first rises, when we are all still asleep and they like to dance around as it goes down, when we are inside eating tea.
That is why we have some very special lights in our garden, it is full of solar powered light up magic mushrooms, toadstools, snail lights, butterfly & dragon fly lights and some bright lanterns.

Under the rainforest canopy next to Dimples Secret Garden, is PixieVille. This is where the Leprechauns and Pixies live in harmony. 
Dimples painted some blue stones with white dots to put in the garden, they look like toadstools & match all his favourite blue things.
There are several Ceramic Castles that were made by myself while I did my yr 12 Certificate that now live in the rainforest.

Throughout the garden there are mirrors, and garden statues, things hanging in the trees like dream catchers and chimes, gecko plaques and jewels.

Dimples enjoys imaginary play in the garden, he plays with the gnomes and the fairies garden, he helps me plant new plants and rearrange things.  His favourite game of all time is crossing over the bridge.

We will continue to grow The Secret Garden.

Linking up to the Fairy Garden Competition @ The magic onions

SPLAT Painting

Splat painting was probably the funnest thing we did this week.

We got to get outdoors, let off some steam & Splat paint EVERY where.

I lined the brick wall outside with large paper, sticking it up with blue tac.

I then got 4 large cups and mixed up some water colours with some water, so that it was a smooth yet runny consistency.

Using some water (pool) sponge balls, and some circular sponges dimples soaked them in the cups of paint and used all his might to throw them at the paper.

As the hit SPLAT they went, the paint effect was great, as was the sound when they hit.

He squeezed them, and practiced throwing them as hard as he could both over & under arm.

It was lots of fun and he got to burn off some steam.

The harder you throw them, the bigger the SPLAT.

I had a go & let off some steam pelting the balls at the wall, it was good Messy fun.

Happy Adventures :)