One of my favorite things to do this summer is to give the kids long stretches of time, usually two or three hours, to do anything they want to do except watch TV or the iPad or IPhone. They are free roam the house, if we are inside, or the yard and stream that bisects our yard, if we are outside. It their time to do whatever they want with little supervision or input from me.
Sometimes they complain that they are bored at the start, although this has happened much less often as the summer has progressed. Sometimes they play together. Sometimes they play independently. Sometimes they argue. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they draw. Sometimes they line their toys up for an epic world war-scale battle. Sometimes create their own obstacle course using our furniture, their toys, and just about anything else available. Sometimes they “cook” disgusting dinners for me using their play kitchen and plastic food.
They almost always come up with something imaginative. Yesterday, they built elaborate forts and then asked me to play videographer as they described them.
Professor No More 