figures, ballerinas and trucks, oh my!

This could be a post that debates the innateness of gender differences in play choices, or it could simply be a little snapshot of my three goofballs and their interests at this moment. I think I'll choose the latter, because we're visiting family and I'm blogging on borrowed time right now, as the in-laws are out and 2/3 of the kids are napping, so deep thoughts will have to be put on hold until another time.

Today we visited my favorite little educational shop down here, and I had a lovely time reminiscing about filling my preschool classroom with beautiful materials that encouraged explorative play, and then I stopped myself from feeling too bad about not being able to fill the kids' play time with these same materials, because it's so amazingly easy for me to get caught up in the I Wants. So, I tried to just appreciate the materials that looked enjoyable and appropriate, laughed off some of the more contrived ones, and mostly attempted to quell my shock at the high prices. (I resisted putting together a collection of plastic bugs that were $.79 a piece-- I'm talking inch-long little plastic figures... I gotta find some cheaper somewhere, I figure!)

But, we did make a few purchases. It's certainly no secret that JAM has a strong obsession interest in all things Star Wars, and he's built up a beloved collection of figures (or guys, as Red and Pudge say) that have to go with him whenever we're going to be gone from the house for more than an hour. While we were at the store this morning, there was a blessed absence of anything SW related, but there was an entire wall of Playmobil. JAM was overwhelmed looking at the selection, but managed to find a small and reasonably priced pirate set that appealed to him and asked if it was something that we could buy. This is the kind of toy that I love adding to our collection, because it allows for him to be creative in his play, more so than with the scripted SW stuff that occupies so much of his time, and it can keep his attention for a seriously long time. But, he's also on the verge of turning nine, and he's becoming aware of the shift in play interest that is coming up. In the store, while looking joyfully upon the box that he chose, he told me, "You know Mommy, I bet most other kids my age would call this stuff baby toys, but I really like it and I like playing with it." I went with the response that popped into my head first when I said, "Well, buddy, it's my guess that some kids play things that they don't necessarily talk about with other kids as they're getting older, because they're worried about what they'll think. But I'm glad that you know what makes you happy to play." Ugh, is it really the time already for the secret life of waning childhood? I remember playing Barbies with my best friend in 5th grade... I'm assuming that would not be so kosher these days, huh? Especially with two significantly younger siblings, he lives in a home with a bunch of toys marketed to a wide-range of ages, and I'm consistently amazed at the things he can build when he's playing with Red and Pudge using the duplo legos. Even the perception of peer pressure seems to already be in his thoughts... but I hope he stays comfortable with his own choices for a little while longer.

Several years ago, we bought some kid-friendly placemats at this same store- a construction site layout, a fire truck, and a numbers one- but sadly, they are all kinda gross now, so I looked for some replacements and was thrilled by how nicely they matched up with the kids' interests and learning abilities. The best find-- one that had illustrations of ballerinas in different dance positions. Holy cow, is this ever up Red's alley right now. This girl has an imagination that rivals the hundreds of children I've known in my teaching years, and she talks at great length about her dance teacher and the ballet class that she goes to, demonstrating her new moves for us on a regular basis. But here's the thing... the girl has never been in a dance class in her entire 3 years of life. (Yeah, so either we go with saying that she has an amazingly creative imagination, or we say that she's plumb crazy...) Either way, she's got a bit of a thing for ballerinas and I'm really hoping that we will have the opportunity to get her into a creative movement class this fall in our town. Regardless, I have a feeling that this placemat will be seen at our table each and every day.

And then there is the world of trucks that fascinates our talking-so-much-more guy, Pudge. Even the sound of a large vehicle in the background is enough to make him stop and whisper with this deep reverence, "BIG truck!" For him, of course, the placemat purchases had to reflect that adoration, and he's now the proud owner of two mats depicting rescue vehicles and a giant dump truck. I remember JAM going through this stage back in the day, pointing out every construction vehicle he saw, becoming fascinated with matchbox cars and trucks, needing to have one in his hand or pocket at all times. Even though Red has gone through this age with the same exact toys at her disposal, she never has shown more than a passing interest in playing trains or cars, certainly never getting ecstatic when we walked past a garbage truck in the way that Pudge does. He's a full-blown stereotypical male toddler in this truck obsession, and if he finds a toy with wheels, he's happy to drive it around the floor, on top of tables and chairs, or even across your head and face if you'd let him, all the while grumbling that always recognizable truck sound that every mom and dad knows. The wonder and joy that vehicles can bring to his face makes me smile every single time.

So, that's our play life in a nutshell-- guys, tutus and big trucks. Fun fun fun.


Playfully yours,