The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.
Erik H. Erikson

As the season changed from Summer to Autumn

As the leaves began to change and fall

William started to have a memory

A memory of a tuff spot

Filled with Autumn leaves, garden treasures and woodland animals

William wanted to make the Autumn tracks again

One year on and ours is still a house of trains

But William also now loves diggers and tractors and cars

Esther loves animals in her small world play

With all the different wants and needs in mind

We decided to use both the tuff spot and the gardening tray

To create our woodland tracks and harvest farm

For the woodland tracks

We collected leaf litter and berries from our garden

We added pebbles and plastic woodland animals

This year the track was much more complex than last

Too big to stay inside the tuff spot

It came up and over the cement tray edge

Branching out to turn tables and engine sheds

Through tunnels and over bridges

One branch line

Took the trains from the woodland

To Harvest Farm

A sensory farm

Made with lentils and cous cous

Sprinkled with mixed herbs for scent

Spaghetti was scattered

Ready to be collected and transported

From tractor trailer to train

Esther and William had a wonderful time

Loading trucks

Making deliveries

Harvesting berries

Feeding animals

Clearing tracks

Fixing broken bridges

Weathering storms

Making shelters

Play is the highest form of research
Albert Einstein

Having a train track

Linking the two play areas

Worked really really well

We have been reading books about Autumn

And Harvest

In preparation for this week’s Harvest Festival

This seasonal, sensory, small world play

Has not only been great fun

It has also extended their knowledge and understanding

And developed a whole range of new concepts and skills

It has also given us valuable time together as a family

Time to play

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning
Mr. Rogers