What to do while watching the children at the playground + DIY Toys: Dangling Leaf Butterfly

Like it or not, children are learning from us all the time.

They pick up how we speak to strangers, how we manage our anger, and what we do when we have free time. Do we relax, read a book, strike up a conversation, or slump on a bench and scroll through Facebook?

Usually, when my children are at the playground, I try to bring along some kind of craft for MYSELF to do while they play. I enjoy sewing toys and mending or altering clothes by hand, so I sit on the bench or floor and work quietly while they play.

Benefits of being productively occupied during outdoor play:

1. When I'm engrossed in an activity, the children tend to disturb me less with trivial squabbles.
2. They get curious and come to watch me, laying ground for the time in the future when they will learn this skill.
3. By watching me work at the same item day after day, week after week, they learn patience, perseverance, and that not everything yields instant results, but that persistence pays off.  
4. I get to do what I enjoy!

It was toward the end of one of these outings that my daughter asked if she could sew something. There were 2 trees with beautiful butterfly-shaped leaves so the Dangling Leaf Butterfly was born!

Materials needed: Needle, thread, leaves, and a small branch

1. Collect butterfly-shaped leaves, or any other leaves if you can't find them. Pick freshly fallen leaves that are not too dry. Avoid dry leaves as they may tear easily.
2. Sew down the middle, or sew the 2 leaves together.
3. Attach the other end of the thread to a stick!
4. Hold it and run!
5. Add it as a display to your Nature Table. :)