Wednesday 2 May 2012

A great day out

On Friday we spent the day with good friends at Rietvlei dam reserve - it is really just a bit of nature just around the corner. And although we did not see anything very exciting (but the rhinos far in the distance) we had a lovely day, braaing a bit of boerewors and chatting to friends. I just love how all our kids can entertain themselves with absolutely nothing - we took no toys with us (intentionally - there was a little Ferari in the car by chance) and they had a great time just playing around.The very best kind of play if you ask me - the creativity ran high making up games etc.
The city right there behind the dam.




Lovely picnic area - lots of peace and quiet.
A great day to climb a tree - the two big girls spent a lot of time in it and the other 4 also had to try and climb it.







Such a refreshing day - food for the soul.


What I would like to know is how well your kids do with a "no toy" situation?

13 comments:

  1. It looks like a perfect outing!
    I think we should do it more often - NO toys! They do not even notice it...

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  2. Looks like a great day and a lovely spot.

    I don't drag toys along for Nicola anymore. She doesn't want to play with her own stuff when she gets there anyway...she wants to explore.

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  3. Just got a chance to catch up on your blog - it's been a while. Your chilren have grown so much and they all look so happy and lealthy and glowing!

    I love your photos and these Rietvlei ones have made me realise that I MISS the highveld countryside and landscapes too!

    Beautiful!

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  4. You capture such amazing images, Cat...truly love seeing occasions like these through your eyes/lens. :)

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  5. I love your pic of the trees (bare) against the blue sky - when I post Sabie pics, you'll see why :)

    And the tortoise.

    I don't take toys everywhere but I like to have SOMETHING in the boot, just in case, like a cheap magnadoodle or a notebook and crayons.

    Depends where we go though.

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  6. What a beautiful location! Good for the soul, I'm sure.

    We don't do toys at the table (at home, or in restaurants), and we don't do toys in the car. We haven't really been to a park for an all-day adventure like you described, but when we do go to the park, all we ever take is the soccer ball.

    We have a handful of "travel toys" that we've taken on a few trips -- namely magnetic drawing pads, and these little plastic phones (that I hate!), but the girls think it's so special to play with them when we're on a trip.

    That's a great question, Cat!

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  7. Looks like such an awesome spot!! My kids don't take many things with them anymore, as long as there's space and something physical for them to do they're fine to entertain themselves

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  8. I love this age for their imaginations! I love sitting back and listening to my 3 conjure up some adventure on their own, assigning roles, making plans and creating something out of what's handy. So much fun to witness!

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  9. I love the no toy approach. We RARELY take toys out of the house. The one exception being the new doll fetish. For the car we have worked to get them to enjoy music, but when were out, we focus on the sights or enjoy the act of walking/playing freely instead of being tied to a stroller!

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  10. I too love it, when the kids can entertain themselves without any toys. It sure looks like you all had a great time. I must admit though, that we have not visited the Rietvlei dam reserve before. Such a shame though because it looks like a great place to visit.

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  11. Actually, Child2 copes REALLY well without toys. Child1 not so much. He constantly needs some form of stimuli and this does cause issues for us. I'm toying with the idea of introducing a technology free weekend once a month. No TV, No radio, no computers. I need to plan it really well though - I suspect that HE will battle and if he does then I'll just have to do it more than once a month.
    Your pictures are LOVELY.

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  12. I absolutely adore Rietvlei dam. As always, love your pics.

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  13. It looks like you had such a stunning time...and it is good to see how well the children adjusted to no toys...and it playing with pebbles.

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So what's on your mind?