My four older ones: Chikadees #1, #2, #3, and #4 had just watched the new Disney Tinkerbell movie about the Pirate Fairy so they decided they were going to "create" there own fairies by using colored water and our beautiful flowers I had put on the table. First they used their watercolors to create a plethora of beautiful rainbow colors.
After that they tore apart the crabapple flowers and the lilac flowers into their own little petals and buds. They also collected lilac leaves and very carefully cut them up into little pieces. They added these beauties to the bowls and cups of rainbow water. They mixed this solution together and pretended they created fairies. (The lilac leaves mixed with green became Tinkerbell, and the the Blueflax Flowers (not shown) mixed with blue became Silvermist etc.)
Of course, my two youngest got tired of the mixing game - and eventually the leaves and flowers ended up outside in the mud and dirt.
They decided that making mud and making a mess was so much funner. Of course, I let the play go on for a little bit as I know that young children and even older ones LOVE playing in mud. But I can only handle mud for so long until I have to call it quits. I am not a mud lover - it gets everywhere - it is tracked inside my house, it ruins and stains clothes that I work so hard to buy to name a few reasons why.
But my Chickadees had fun and the imagination they put into their play was amazing. Flowers, leaves, and watercolors... who knew those simple things could keep a child occupies for several hours.
Have fun setting up your own area to play. All you need is leaves, flowers, water, and watercolor paint - lay them out and just see what your Chickadees can do.
Wishing you a Hats and Chickadees day. :)