All About April Day 21 - Free Range Kids

Everything about this photo makes me happy and makes my heart sing. Even though the kids are blurry I think it captures the freedom and pace of play they were engaged in. 

We are fortunate to have this right next to playground. An area with shady paths, stone bridges, trickling water, islands surrounded by moats and rocky outcrops just calling out to be explored and jumped off. All this situated under a tree canopy that gives it a feel of mystery and adventure. 

There are acorns and acorn hats to be found, leaves and sticks to floats, vast moats to jump across daringly and at this time of year mushrooms to discover. We are really blessed to have all this right on our doorstep for kids to get lost on their imaginations and to run free. No need to dictate their play or interfere and make it a "learning" experience. I have seen just exactly that so many times. That just brasses me off. Just leave them alone.....just let them be free range kids just for a while. They are learning and experience authentic life right there, don't interrupt! 

Oh how I wish this was in my actual backyard! My kids and their cousin's had a ball, I wish we could of visited longer. 

We have my sister and her family staying at the moment. A total of ten kids in residence at present! There is something just a little comfy about when family come to stay. Like a familiar pairs of track (sweat) pants who have probably seen you in every facets of life.....the good the bad and the ugly. My kids enjoy their cousin time and that makes me happy. 

On a side note also feeling super blessed and super full. My brother-in-law who is a chef cooked a top notch chicken curry tonight. I know I ate far too much of it because it hurts to move now! So good!