Fun in the Rain! - Our Handmade Indoor Hopscotch

Skipping by the flowers,

Skipping around for hours,
Skipping in rain showers -
Skipping has magical powers!
~Jessi Lane Adams

During the holidays we experienced quite a few days of rain.  There were no complaints heard from here.  It is very welcome.  Besides this, we needed an excuse to stay indoors to create the things on my ever-growing list.  So we set about making some indoor hopscotch.  Another idea from the lovely Melissa Goodsell, seen in the Australian Homesewn magazine.

Ess and I had enormous fun with this project when our little Eee was sleeping.  She considered herself my little helper!  One of her numerous roles was to count the number of squares I cut and let me know how many more I needed of each colour.  She also sorted them appropriately, pink polka dots felt on top of purple felt and so forth, so I could stitch them without delay.  Well some of the time...

I was absolutely delighted with the way she helped me pin the numbers on each square.  While it did not hasten the project's completion, it assisted in Ess' learning both in number and sewing.   She busily moved around me as I sat at my machine moving squares here and there, gathering and sorting them,  arranging and pinning them.  "This is great fun Mum!"  Of course, I was delighted to have finally hit the nail on the head with a project for her to enjoy during her day which lasted longer than merely a few minutes.  She was very actively and productively engaged.  By the end of our mission, she had learnt to pin accurately.  Not bad for a little girl who started the project saying she was afraid of pins!  (No doubt she has memories of trying on clothes in which pins remain!)

Hopscotch has had quite a workout since its completion.  Not always as a game of hopscotch! As you might imagine, playing hopscotch with a one year old proves a little frustrating for a 5 year old, with the thrown pebble constantly being moved and the soft mat being layed down upon and rolled around on.

Hopscotch has become an important part of our obstacle course which little Eee and I enjoy each day.  It is jumped upon and climbed up from.

Our hopscotch also rolls up beautifully tied with ribbon for easy storage.  Ess has also found it to be a great stool for sitting to read some stories and play with fairies.