My kids love to muck around with potions, experiments and crazy ideas in the backyard just for fun. They combine fizzing liquids and soaking flowers with pretend play ideas from their imagination. They discover new things, observe what is happening and draw their own conclusions. They don’t need to write things down in a notebook and they don’t need my input. They do love to call me over to see what new thing is happening or to point out something interesting that they’ve noticed, like how the fizzing solution just changed colour or how a mixture of salt and baking soda makes hands feel itchy.

The back step becomes a science lab and a stepping stone is a mixing bench. The pantry is raided for baking soda, vinegar and cooking salt. Liquid watercolours are fetched from my art supply cupboard and squirty hand soap gets pumped into everything in very generous amounts. They are no longer girls but witches or fairies, and they are not making a mess they are making magic.