Woodland wandering

(Goblin is 26 months old)

 Today we explored a new wood. Goblin's naps have been completely thrown off by the holidays and he refused to sleep. So we decided to go out for a walk to tire him out. We were a bit worried though when two seconds into the walk he started asking to be carried.

But we used distractions to get him into the walk: jumping in puddles; wandering through the trees; looking at the pussy willow, apples and rose hips hanging from the trees.

 We came to a bit of the wood where they had been coppicing. There were loads of branches and long sticks lying around. I started leaning them up against a tree. Goblin helped fetch sticks and I helped him arrange them around the trunk.

 We got quite carried away and made a really good den. And Goblin loved hiding inside it. 

Poor Hublet was too big to come in

Goblin liked hiding so much that he instigated a game of hide and seek. He decided I should hide first. So off I ran. Hublet and Goblin counted to ten and then came looking for me.

He is very funny. Despite Hublet and I hiding in quite obvious places he really struggles with the seeking.

No Goblin, I am not up the tree. 

 When it was Hublet's turn to hide he mewed loudly to help Goblin find him. Goblin thought it was hilarious that he could hear Hublet's "meow" but couldn't see him. But Goblin had no instinct to follow where the noise was coming from. So I had to steer him in the right direction.

He was very happy to find his mewing daddy eventually. 

I'm linking this to

Searching for stuff

(Goblin is 25 months)

Can your toddler search for stuff and find it? Goblin couldn't. 
If I said "its in the toy box", he would walk over and look into the toy box, but if the thing wasn't lying right on the top he wouldn't be able to find it. 

I had to teach him how to hunt - If he wanted to find something I'd go with him to where it was and show him that I was pulling stuff out of the box until I found what I was looking for. Some might look at the picture above and cringe at the mess Goblin is creating, but for me this picture fills me with pride. This is the first time Goblin showed me he had taken on board what I'd been showing him. 
He was looking for the back door of his tractor trailer. I said "its in the toy box". And off he went.

 Rummage, Rummage - cars and trucks being carefully pulled out and placed on the floor. And then there it was. Look how pleased he is that he found it, all by himself. And off he went to fit it back on the trailer.

I definitely think that knowing how to look for stuff effectively is a useful skill to have. I know some adults who could do with some practice!