four boys and a garden
Take 3 boys, aged between 7 and 10. Give them a garden for imagining, and some chalk. I was aware there was a lot of running around, but it wasn't till the next day that I wondered into the garden and found mysterious letters chalked all over the place. MPP - what could it mean?
I asked and got the answer: Major Piggy Power. What is Major Piggy Power? I asked Dr Google. I learned that it is a very funny film, highly suitable for children.
What made them enact this in the garden? It must have been the pig. When I caught sight of the pig in an opportunity shop, it was love at first sight. That pig has depth and character, and the boys must have been astute enough to recognize its qualities.
The next day I found out that only the 9 year old knew that Major Piggy Power was a film. The other boys saw it as a secret password and had no idea there was a film of the same name.
Meanwhile, the 4 year old wasn't quite up to writing on the stones in the garden. Children that age love playing with water, and I reckon they're never too young to learn the importance of scrubbing the bird bath.
That is a pig of immense charm. Kudos to the boys for recognising that so early.
ReplyDeleteWater play? Disguised as being helpful? His intense concentration says it all....
I'm pleased you also recognize the pig's charm, EC. Re the little one - that gorgeous stage is so fleeting, gotta make the most of it.
DeleteBoys are so much fun. Your heart will really sing one day when they grow and have gardens of their own - I can tell you mine has with my grown up boy!
ReplyDeleteHi Jayne, thanks for the comment. Actually I too have experienced the singing heart, because my children are grownup and I am a grandmother.
DeleteThat pig is pretty darn cute. How wonderful that the boys had the opportunity to interact with the garden on their own terms. Like Jayne, I hope it's the start of a lasting relationship with gardens.
ReplyDeletethanks, Kris, whatever happens in the future I love that they use the garden for fantasy play.
DeleteSweet! I'd never heard of Major Piggy Power. Now I'll have to check it out. It's funny how the characters that are popular with our kids continue to be memorable for us, too. When my kids were young, it was all about Power Rangers, Teletubbies, and Rugrats.
ReplyDeleteNow they seem to be going for more sophisticated stuff often - like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Michael Jackson. It's fascinating to see what different generations connect with. As a child I liked Noddy, innocently never thinking that golliwogs were racist.
DeleteI kept trying to leave a comment. Nothing worked. I don't understand what has changed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know, Denise. There are a few cyber friends I haven't heard from in a while. Not sure what to do ...
Delete