We spent the afternoon sheltering from the rain at home yesterday. The children came and went, along with various friends. At one point our middle one (aged 8) was at home with two of his friends. His younger sister and older brother were both busy elsewhere.
Watching them play, it reminded me how important it is to provide a variety of play opportunities for children of all ages. Outwardly, they seem to grow up so quickly, and yet I frequently hear parents commenting to each other, 'he still likes a cuddle at bedtime' or 'she still plays with her dolls you know'. The three boys at our house yesterday, independently instigated a game of 'shops' which grew into role playing different members of a family, one of whom had their birthday. By the end of it we were all involved because they insisted on us all coming to the 'birthday party' - the cake was delicious!
I know that if I had suggested they play like this, I would have been met with fierce resistance, but given an afternoon of wet weather and some good company, they had a great time, fully engrossed in their make believe family.
I guess it just made me realise that at 8 and 9 years old, they still love to really 'play'. Give them a variety of ingredients and let their imaginations loose....I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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