Inspiration for today from...

The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward.This is such a gorgeous book, we loved the illustrations and the story and everything about it! If you don't have this book, you probably need it. Really. :) Anyway, it got us started on some fun little invented-on-the-spot projects today.

First we made some clay stones and a Bog Baby and left them to dry. Morgan made a snail too but decided to pull it to pieces and squish it into my carpet. *sigh*

Then we painted a magical pool and some green forest around it. Again, I used the tried-and-tested washing-up-avoidance-tactic of just rolling the paper out, squirting paint roughly where we wanted it (at least two tones or one colour with white so that when spread out it would be nicely mottled). The girls took a brush each, and let loose. I asked them to please keep the green area and the blue area apart, and to my shock this actually happened (I took a brush eventually when they got bored, and went round the edges).
When dry, we stuck on and drew flowers, long grass, a path, lily pads, etc. And added lots of sparkles (well it IS a magical pool).

Then Jenna started collecting things together and when I asked what she was up to it turned out she was making a home for her own Bog Baby, which she did in the sink bowl from the play kitchen.

And, of course, colouring. Morgan did yellow and black scribbles. Jenna did a Bog Baby - and copied the words from the front cover too! As you can see, she often writes her name back-to-front, sometimes even in perfect mirror writing. Then she tuts to herself and says, "oh dear, that word went all wrong all over the page"... Well, I am making a habit of saying nothing at all, and smiling at her if she glances over for reassurance, and just thinking to myself how amazing it is that all of these skills are just growing and growing, from only her.

And when Martin came home we planned to take a trip up to the woods to see if we could find our very own Bog Baby. We didn't get that far sadly (mind, the bluebells aren't out yet and it was very dark) and instead sorted out paperwork for the car. By the time there was any chance of going for a walk I was totally shattered! Of course, the children are still going strong and talking about painting the now-dry clay model...