The Princess's Jewels

It was another beautiful day so we headed to Blackbob Park in Olathe, KS because the playground looks like a castle! We met some friends there and the kids dressed up as knights and princesses: my own daughter dressed as a "princess knight" so she had the best of both worlds. There was an epic [foam] sword battle and together they slayed the dragon.

Meanwhile, my friend had the best idea and brought along some glass "jewels" (flat decorator marbles). While the kids were busy with their swords, my 1-yr old and I sneaked off to hide the jewels in small piles around some trees and grass in the park. Then I told them the story about an evil wizard who stole the princess's jewels! He flew away on his magic broom but Ben (my 1-yr old!) had reached up and scratched a hole in his bag so the jewels all fell out as he flew over the trees. The hunt was on and the kids loved it.

They collected the jewels in small satchels my friend had helped them make. She snipped small holes all around a 12" circle of fabric then weaved a strip of gold fabric through that and tied the ends together. When you pull the strip tight, it closes the ends of the circle together and makes a perfect little bag! You could also use some yarn or cord for that part and it forms a handle. The kids each got to decorate their own bag with fabric markers before the "handle" was weaved in.

As a final treat, she brought ring pops! It a was a really fun afternoon and my daughter was so excited about her jewels and the wizard, that's the first thing she told her grandparents about when she visited them that evening!