Pretend play: Camping

I bought a tent and tunnel set ages ago from ToyRus because you know, I wanted the kids to experience camping without the risk of contracting leptospirosis, dengue, etc.

picture from walmart.com

Ours is something like the picture above, just slightly more cheapskate in quality and blue/orange.
The two things I have always wanted to do as a kid (besides going to Disneyland) was camping and flying a kite.

"Just camp in the garden laaaa," Those were my exact words to hubs while I was paying with a stupid grin. Hubby just walked away. I turned to my son and said "Tiger, we are going camping!!" He gave me a blank look. MIL started her 'buying rubbish' lecture and I turned on selective-deafness mode.

Truth be told, it was quite rubbish :p
The plastic bent after some usual rough play by some kids. So, my advise is, if you are going to buy a play tent, make sure you buy something with reasonably good quality, like a Bazoogi tent/structure.
 The camping out doors part? Haha....forget it.... with the mosquitoes and the sweltering heat in tropical Malaysia....omg!

So after two years, I finally set camp, in my bedroom. No mosquitoes, no bugs, no dirt, no haze, air-conditioned and most importantly, decreased chances of kidnapping and robbery.

Tiger actually slept in the tent :)  

That's his playpen mattress and his stinky baby bolster.

I wanted to tell him ghost stories like people do in the movies but nevermind la, 

in case the ghost in the toilet decides to come back.

So, I told him there are wild boars at night and he nearly cried.

"Where? Where?"

OMG, I am seriously considering the fact he is on the spectrum.

ZERO imagination.

I had to explain that we're actually indoors and there aren't any wild animals,

just pretending, imagining and making up stories.

He wasn't convinced, so I distracted him with a 'campfire'

I made up another story about hunting for animals.

 "There's a rabbit, I am shooting it with my bow and arrow. 

Now I am going to skin it and we are roasting it over the fire.

Here, have some roasted rabbit for supper."

"IT'S DEAD?!? YOU KILLED A RABBIT."

Pretending to chew and bite, "Yeah, it's food, baby. You want some?"

Tiger was visibly disturbed, "No, thank you."

What am I going to do with you, Little Tiger?

Why are you so literal?

It's exasperating.

We need more pretend play.

I googled for play benefits of tents and tunnels and it includes:

Gross motor and coordination practice.

Speech training

Imagination 

Teamwork 

Basically it is another toy. 

Money saving tip:

Just use a large bed sheet over a string and you have a tent.

Picture from google

Picture from pinterest

 Have a wonderful weekend and happy camping!