Morning crafts at work.
So far the program has had a slow start and of the five kids we have each morning only two of them return for care in the afternoon, Hastings and London. A few days ago they were playing a game in the gym and, though I was left questioning the specifics, it had something to do with a giant evil rat god trying to kill them. This imaginary giant rat was strangling Hastings, but he managed to escape by electrocuting it with his jedi powers. London then found a small rat (still imaginary thank goodness) that she wanted to keep. Hastings told her it was the sidekick of the giant rat, but he had changed sides and was now helping them so it was okay if she kept it. Then, after placing it in a safe place (a garbage bin that the balls are stored in), she spoke with it and made this proclamation: “He said to me he has powers, and he told me what his powers are. He said he could run really fast to the end of the world. And then when he’s at the end of the world he will run up the end of the world. And then he’ll be on top of the end of the world!”
Lesson of the day: Kids do not know everything, and that is OKAY. They may have the craziest imagination that completely defies all scientific laws of this universe but that is okay too. As adults we tend to try and contain that imagination because it has to make sense and be logical, often because we think it is important for them to understand how things work – there is nothing wrong with that – but they will learn that soon enough. Let their innocent and pure imaginations run wild while they can, before the world puts the harness of reason on and reigns them in. Let them have fun.
