Safari in the Backyard

Yesterday morning husband and I brought daughter and Sr. Nor's six-year-old daughter to the River Legacy Park. While husband went cycling along the bike trail, the two girls played at the playground and run around the park. After sharing an extra large pizza (from New York's Famous Pizza) at the park for lunch, we headed home as wind gust got up to 30 miles per hour.

For the rest of the afternoon, daughter and her friend played in the backyard. Since there are no toys in the backyard except a tricycle and two kid size trowels, I was happy to see them using their imagination to create play themes. At one time they went to a 'safari' to collect some trees (small tree branches), then later they went 'shopping' for things like leaves and wild flowers. They were not afraid to get their hands dirty with digging in the soil, and had fun building 'sand castles'.

I am really happy to see young children using their imagination to play. I don't understand why some parents prefer to host 'princess' parties for their children rather than letting them find their own entertainment in a natural environment. Husband and I want daughter to grow up appreciating the beautiful world that Allah SWT create for us, and to have an long-lasting connection with the world around her. This way daughter will be thankful for the wonderful bounties that Allah SWT give us in this world.