Sticks

Who needs premade toys when our lovely maple gives us open ended manipulatives that can be come an endless amount of things.  They also offer us an opportunity to hone our sense of space and safety.  A long, spinning stick and other children can also be a recipe for injury.  By talking through being aware of the end, what the safe ways of doing it, making sure everyone is giving the stick holder space, and bringing a general awareness to relationships to objects, self and others.

Sticks also become various things and are used as tools throughout the yard.  They are an airplane flying high.  The dig out small rocks and treasures or make deep holes in the soft sand. Sticks are stood on end to recreate trees which are attempted to be climbed, only to fall or have the stick slip. 



The power of observation is hard at work as the boys mimic each other's moves.  At one point almost everyone is spinning a stick around and around in one part of the yard.  As I bring our awareness to safety there is much testing and watching, both on the part of those with sticks and those without.  There is a sense of respect from the watchers and pure joy, yet attentiveness from those who are playing with a stick, no matter the length.  We all rejoice when we find another enormous stick that has fallen!  What will the next one become?