The afternoon began by a log. R7 grabbed the keyboard and got started on some big construction plans. R6 pushed a pinwheel into the ground while F supervised.
“If the windmill spins, it means the wind is blowing west,” R6 said.
“No it doesn’t. It means it’s going whatever way it’s moving,” F corrected her.
“Actually, I don’t need the computer. No one needs it,” R6 decided.
He started to put it back in the wagon.
“I do. I need it,” R6 told him.
“Then you can’t be a construction worker,” R7 said.
“I know,” R6 replied.
R7 handed her the keyboard and she went off in search of a place to plug it in.
“Finally, I get to climb a tree,” F exclaimed.
He pulled himself up into a tree.
“I’m not getting any higher. That’s impossible,” he declared.
F climbed down from the tree and went to join R7, who was tying some rope around a different tree. F grabbed a piece of rope and started to untangle it.
“Actually, can I be a construction worker?” R6 asked.
“No computers,” R7 reminded her.
“I know. I’ll be the measurer,” R6 said, trading the keyboard for a tape measure.
R7 noticed that F was tying his rope to the rope he’d tied around the tree.
“You tied it to mine? You can’t use the same rope,” R7 said.
“It’s okay. It’s how real climbers do it,” F assured him.
R7 tied the other end of his rope around his waist. Then he began to pull himself up the side of the tree. A piece of bark broke off, and he slid down.
“This tree is REALLY rotting!” R7 exclaimed.
He continued trying to climb up the tree. F tied the other end of his rope around his waist, and tried climbing up the other side.
After a few more attempts, R7 realized he wasn’t going to be able to get up much higher. He jumped down and started hauling large pieces of bark over to the tree.
“Who wants to be a roper?” R7 asked.
“What’s a roper?” R6 wondered.
“Someone who holds the rope,” R7 explained.
“I’m not going to use the rope,” F decided.
“I’ll do it!” R6 cried.
F removed the rope from his waist and R6 scooped it right up. She tied it around her waist.
R7 began leaning the large pieces of bark against the tree.
“I’m building a house,” he announced.
“I’m your helper,” F said.
“Okay, help me carry this,” R7 instructed.
He was crouched down near a large fallen branch. F walked over to the other side and crouched down.
“Lift,” R7 directed.
The children used teamwork to carry the branch.
“Drop!” R7 said.
They dropped the branch.
“I’m not going to do any more lifting. My arms hurt,” F told R7.
“Then I’ll build it myself, and you can’t come in,” R7 reminded him.
“Okay, I’ll help,” F grumbled.
The boys attempted to lift the heavy branch again. F, with his tired arms, couldn’t do what R7 wanted to do, the way he wanted him to do it. This frustrated R7, and created conflict.
F dropped his end of the branch and walked away. He was done.
“Then I’ll do it myself,” R7 said.
A short time later, R7 and F moved over to a fort that had already been started by earlier park visitors. There was just a small amount of work for them to finish.
“You can’t come in our fort, because you didn’t help build it,” R7 told R6, when she tried to climb in.
R6 entered the fort anyway. She started swinging her stick around.
“Remember, you need a big space if you’re going to swing a stick,” I told her.
“Don’t worry. I’m calling the police. We have an intruder,” F said.
He pounded away at the keyboard.
“We’re not letting you in BECAUSE you’re fighting us,” R7 informed R6.
The conflict continued back and forth. At Play Club, children are given the opportunity to resolve their own conflicts, but there are times when adult intervention is necessary. R7 and F were very clear about why they didn’t want R6 in the fort, and she continued to do what they didn’t want her to do. It was time for me to step in.
“Hey, R6, do you want to build your own fort?” I asked.
“Yeah. But you have to help,” she said.
“I’ll help,” I agreed.
R6 and I got to work building a smaller structure out of sticks and large pieces of bark. Minor conflicts continued on and off, but eventually, stopped.
“R6, we’re hunters. Want to be hunters with us?” F asked.
“No,” R6 replied.
“But you live in a separate house,” F continued.
“Yeah,” R6 changed her mind.
“So you’re working together now? Not fighting against each other,” I asked.
I was somewhat worried that this kind invitation was going to be a trick.
“Yeah. We’re together, against the animals,” F explained.
R6 gathered bowls, cups, and other tools from the wagon. F observed what she was doing.
“R7, do you want to have a restaurant?” he asked.
“No,” R7 said.
“A restaurant, AND we’re hunters,” F tried again.
“I’m a restaurant,” R6 informed both boys.
R7 and F continued to set up their space. R6 got busy spooning dirt into containers.
“I’m making a cake,” R6 announced.
Her bowl of dirt spilled.
“Oh geez,” she muttered.
R6 picked up the bowl and tried to salvage some of the cake batter.
“That’s okay. That’s why I need more dirt,” R6 said.
She didn’t let one little set back ruin her day. R6 scooped more dirt into her bowl.
“I need chocolate chips,” R6 said.
She sent me off to find chocolate chips. I came back with pieces of tiny twigs. When I saw a chance, I stepped back and out of her play.
“Anyway, it’s Christmas,” R7 told F.
F wandered over to R6’s fort.
“We just opened gifts. This is yours,” F said, handing her a piece of bark.
R6 took the bark and studied it.
“Thanks. It’s a…” she said.
“It’s a spoon or a whisk,” F told her.
R7 approached R6’s fort. He held a piece of wood out to her.
“Are you ready for my gift? You can pour your dust right down the chute,” he said.
He demonstrated how to use the new cooking gadget.
“But I didn’t give you guys a gift,” R6 admitted.
“We don’t have much food. That would be good,” R7 suggested.
R6 handed tongs to each boy.
“Merry Christmas,” F said.
“Merry Christmas,” R7 echoed.
“Merry Christmas,” R6 repeated.
R7 and F went out hunting.
“Now it’s the baking competition,” R6 gasped.
“By the way, I just looked at the clock. You have ten minutes to finish,” R7 informed her.
R6 went into a pretend panic.
“Don’t worry. I just shot the clock so they won’t know when to stop,” R7 assured her.
R6 sighed in relief. She continued to work on her cake. R7 and F went back to hunting.
“Cooking competition time! Come to the cooking competition,” R6 called, once her cake was read.
R7 and F walked around tasting the sample from the other pretend contestants.
“Blech, too salty,” said R7.
“Yuck, too much chocolate,” F cried.
“Ugh, that’s disgusting,” R7 exclaimed.
“R6 is the winner! I need to find a crown!” R7 announced.
He picked up a piece of bark and held it on R6’s head.
A big gust of wind sent some leaves spiraling into the air.
“Leaf tornado! Get to the fort!” F instructed.
Everyone ran back to their forts. R7 and F helped move R6 to their fort, temporarily. Then they battled the leaf tornado monster. When it was safe, R6 moved back home.
She sat inside her house, mixing more cake. After a while, I heard some whistling. It sounded like the call of a cardinal.
“R6, are you making that sound?” I asked.
A cardinal started its call.
“I’m not making that noise, but I am trying to answer it. I just learned how to whistle,” R6 said.
For almost ten minutes, R6 answered each one of the cardinal’s calls.
The afternoon ended with the children still deeply engaged in in play. R7 and F were playing something different than R6, but at times, their pretend worlds intersected. After a somewhat rocky start, the afternoon remained harmonious.
Time, space, and permission to play made for a day filled with opportunities to move, explore, experiment, assess and take risks, pretend, resolve conflicts, try new things, use teamwork, solve problems, experience joy, imagine, connect with nature, and have lots of fun.
todaywewillplay 