The Set is Mine... See ya mister....

I have been spending more and more time with parents and children as the season progresses.   With every new set I have new freinds,  and loose them fairly quick...

 Every year as the season comes into full swing.   I meet some of the most interesting characters you can Imagine..  I am referring to the children of course..    This Saturday I built a playhouse for the most lovely family in Seattle......  As I worked feverishly to get the set built for the little guy.  He had his watchful eyes on me the whole time...  I was asked several times through out the day what was I doing with that and why do I do like that...  What is that noise I keep hearing?  Hey Sam can I  get my tools and help?  I have plastic hammers and a plastic shovel..  I know I can do it!!!!.  Hey Sam watch this!  Are you done yet?  When are going to put my slide on?  You are a good house maker sam!  This continued on for the day.  I patiently answered his questions and helped with his projects of his own.. 

  He would nudge ever so close now and then.   I would remind him we had an arrangement that he made first thing in the morning about his line he could not cross... He would apologize and remember the deal...   As the day came to an end and I was completed with his house..   I asked for his approval,  and he excepted it with open arms.. It was his playhouse......all HIS...  He had waited out in the rain with me, watching, supervising so well...  The time was right for him to make it his own... go up and down the slide.  use the Rock wall.... Go in and out of the house..  This went on for a while as I cleaned my tools up and removed some debris from the yard..  The time had come for me to remove a few things from the set........... He promptly told me,  I was past my line and we had an arrangement...  

Well I guess I am not welcome any more......   Makes me laugh....   I think I will make a sign and send it to him...   No Sam Allowed...   I guess its fair... 

Its funny how they hang on every word,,,,, untill I am done...

Sam

Playhouse, Or Swing Set? Wood Play house!

I am not a very good judge of what I would want for a play set as a child..  I guess I would have loved both the same.   What I can say is that no matter what you give your kids make it for the imagination along with muscle movements.  The two together will work the arms and the brains.  This is the things we as parents need to remember when providing the right tools for our young generations to learn and activate there little muscles both for thinking and lifting.  

A Wooden play house will bring more imagination and play time in the make-believe world versus the latter of a swing set.  I would say if it is possible to have both in your yard that would be the way to go.  I have for many years been asked to choose for the client and almost always will find they go with the play fort attached with swings and some monkey bars to boot.   For me this makes the most since.   we live in a world of boredom and loss of interest,  are kids are not that far off from the same.   We as parents need to find the best way to keep the kids active and out in the sun for the short times we have in Washington's weather.   With a set that can construct the imaginations and make the best of active play at the same time!  where can you go wrong with this..    

Some of the best sets that I have been asked to construct for my clients are the 6'x6' Enclosed forts for the little girls that have brothers that love to climb.  I have found I can make the house cute as a button for the girls and the boys love the rock walls.  along with the option for a wheel on the deck.  The little fellas like to steer the wheels and play ship like they are driving the titanic to its doom...  This makes me laugh all the time.  I wounder how a 5 year old child would even know about something so far back in the past?  But they do...  all the while the girls are playing house and making dinner.  I guess they don't know whats in store for them,   as the captains tosses them overboard along with the chicken..

Maybe a day or two the rides will change as the boys are locked in the dungeons and the girls are driving the ships to there remote island of doom.  some of  the ships captives are plotting there ever building escape to the lost world of Atlantis in the pits of the ships belly.   While the little girls are desperately fighting pirates from the bow of the ship. Trying ever so rightly to save the lives of the captives to drop them off to suffer the inevitable doom of the desert island...  

So with some creative play and maybe a few ruined mud pies if you have a mix of kids plan well and let them dream the dreams.    Sit back and be entertained in some of the wildest tales you can think. 

Sam