Monday, July 9, 2012

Just Add Watermelon...

On the weekend, we attended a 'Naming Day' celebration for a gorgeous bub and his family at their home.

There's nothing better than socialising when your child/ren play happily with the child/ren of friends  - as this little gang do.

Especially when the backyard happens to be a veritable outdoor adventure playground.
A magical place yet untouched (spoiled) by Mummy safety sanctions and with lots of fantastic areas to let the imagination run wild.
A place where a 'walk the plank' scenario is just begging for pirate play, the rocky mountains are calling and the sand hills are beyond inviting!

In my opinion, there's something so uplifting about seeing kids engage in good old fashioned play.
There's no amount of plastic fantastic that can replace the mind of a child (or 6).

These kiddies didn't disappoint on the weekend.
In fact, they taught me a brilliant, brand new game that I would like to share with you.
A game that still brings a smile to my old face.

INSTRUCTIONS TO PLAY :

Pre Game - dress in some lovely clothes appropriate for a Sunday afternoon ceremony, including new or 'special' shoes.

1. Discover a large, overripe and inedible watermelon around the side of the house.

2. As a motley crew of 3 and 4 year olds - roll, push and pull the big watermelon across the length of the large garden.

3. Stop at the incline that leads down to a brick wall and a drop to another section of the garden.

4. Giggle and plan your next move as a team.

5. Push and roll the watermelon down the slope, releasing as it gains speed, hits the top of the brick wall and catapults over the edge into the garden below.

6. Clap, cheer and laugh yourselves silly.

7. Jump down into the garden and work together to roll the large watermelon back to the wall. Join forces to hoist the heavy watermelon back up over the wall, up the hill and prepare to do it all over again.


8. Repeat - until finally the watermelon cracks open when it hits the garden below.

9. Look at one another and realise that the fun has only just begun.

10. Break apart the melon. Merrily stomp, stamp, trample and throw bits of watermelon around - reminiscent of some long forgotten 'European Naming Day tradition'. (Stopping only when the oldies decide to step in after an incident involving watermelon on the fence.)

11. Lo and behold - discover another huge watermelon and repeat steps 1 - 10.

Happy playing!

**Currently  unavailable at in any spectacular, giant, monster, biggest, bumper toy sale.
   Don't keep an eye out for the catalogue.

*** How's my restraint?
     I refrained from using a single Dirty Dancing 'I carried a watermelon' reference in this whole post.

Shar :-)

6 comments:

All For Love said...

Haha! What a hoot! Kids are brilliant with the imaginative play. But the watermelon game is a newbie that's for sure. At least it's all edible fun! And I agree, nothing better than a bundle of kidlets who all get along, one of life's true treasures.
Love your Dirty Dancing 'non'-reference tucked in at the end there Shar xo

Wanderlust said...

Aw, that looks like so much fun! Nothing like the laughter of children.

Shelley said...

Thats fantastic. I can see their faces when they realised 'the fun has only just begun'!! Priceless.

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

Oh i love it, children doing what children do best!! Having fun they found themselves. Gorgeous Shar - just hold onto that watermelon in your belly, love Posie

Karla {Ironmum Karla} said...

ha ha how funny. boys will be boys...all about demolishing stuff.Bet there were some hands to mouths as well?x

Maxabella said...

Awesome! I'm trying this out at home (myself)! x