mini environment

It is July 5 in "sunny" San Clemente and you'd think we would be at the pool or the beach...think again!  The sun has not appeared and we are all in pants and sweatshirts.
What to do today????  I decided to make a trip to the store for a small clear bin with a lid and some small plastic animals.  I found dinosaurs.  On the way home I scooped up some sand from the park for my bin.  Then, my son and I assembled our dinosaur environment.   Shay loved paying with his mini sandbox!  He was making dinosaur sounds as he played.  Some were "hiding" under the rocks and shells and others were "eating" the trees.  What a great way to build vocabulary and creative play.  The best part was that when he was done playing, I put on the lid and stored it in the garage for another day.  I figure in the future I can find other animals to create different environments and put in in the backyard when the sun finally decides to shine!
This was well worth the $6.00 investment!