We're fortunate enough to have a gazebo in our garden, which provides shade from the sun & shelter from the rain when we're playing outside, & it's under this gazebo we created our Desert Island Play Space! Perfect for escaping to the beach even on rainy days!
We spread out a blue bed sheet, & added a large plastic mixing tray which we filled with sand. (Any large sturdy container, or sheet of tarpaulin would work well too.) Our windbreak created a beach theme background, & with a branch from the garden we made a palm tree, added a few shells & pebbles to the sand, & our island was ready to be explored.
To reach the island we needed a boat, & our trusty sledge was ideal for the job!
Minnie had so much fun sailing her boat back & forth across the sea, pretending to swim & splash in the water, & watching her toys go for a swim. Then it was time to make (& jump on) a sandcastle or two!
If you don't fancy having all that sand inside your house, a simple desert island play area can be set up with other household items. How about blue sheets, tarpaulin, or large blue Ikea bags for the sea, & for the island how about using yellow/beige blankets or towels, or a large sheet of cardboard cut into the shape of an island.
To create some island foliage how about paper trees, or pot plants. Cushions make great rocks to sit on, or build with too.
There are some great stories to explore with this desert island play area too, how about...
Or how about sharing one of these songs as you set sail for your desert island:
"Row Row Row Your Boat"
"A Sailor Went To Sea, Sea, Sea"
"When I was One"
"5 Little Pirates"
"The Big Ship Sails On the Alley-Alley-Oh"
"A Sailor Went To Sea, Sea, Sea"
"When I was One"
"5 Little Pirates"
"The Big Ship Sails On the Alley-Alley-Oh"
(I love this version by Kate Rusby & her family)
It's amazing how just a few bed sheets, towels & other simple items can create so much fun, imaginative play, & discovery! I wonder where Minnie's voyage will take her next?