Happy Spring! Today as I was watching my children play in various parts of the room I saw Kitten doing something I hadn’t seen a child doing before – and it was sooo adorable! Kitten was in the block area and she was holding a long 12″ rectangle unit block. Nothing unusual – she put it down, picked it up – basically took it with her everywhere she went. At first I couldn’t figure out why – but then I got it!
At one point she laid it down on the floor and walked about two feet away. She was pretending to pick imaginary items up off the floor. A boy came into the block area and accidentally kicked her block. She shouted the boys name in annoyance and ran over and picked up the block. Then she held it tenderly in her arms (much like one would hold a baby with the baby’s head on her shoulder) and said, “Shhhh, it’s okay now.” as she patted her “baby” on the back. After doing this she started rocking her baby in her arms and singing softly as she walked around the carpet.
She continued playing this way for a good 20 mins. She pretended to feed the baby and build block structures with it as well. This is the first time I have seen one of my children turn a block into a baby – but it was adorable and I was very proud about how imaginative she was being. It made me smile…and it made the stresses and exhaustion of the week melt away for a few mins…it was one of those simple moments in life that remind us of how little we truly need to be happy. For some, all it takes is a block and an imagination.
Teaching to Dream 