I took the kids outside and the 6 yr old kindergarteners say, “Let’s play a game.”
Girl and Boy are both 6 years old, in kindergarten, and leaders in game play here in daycare. They have decided that my backyard is: BORING. They want to play a game. I make a few suggestions, but they are having none of my interfering. They want to play a new game. A game they played in kindergarten. A Big Kid Game.
The game?
Fire and Ice
Girl starts explaining : We need to pick teams.
This is more complicated than it sounds. Everyone wants Miss Redhead; she is 4 and easily communicated with. The Girl doesn’t want Mr. Blonde, he is a rebel. No one wants the 2’s…for obvious reasons. I divide the 2’s, one for each team. Miss Blonde and Miss Brunette are arguing over who likes Girl better.
Ten minutes and one tantrum later, the teams are ready. Girl announces she will explain the rules.
Girl: Our team is Fire…
Boy: No! Our team is Fire!
Girl : You have to be Ice!
Boy: We are Ice. I mean, we are Fire!
Ten minutes of arguing ensues, after which it is established that the girls are Fire and the boys are Ice. I didn’t get involved with this one. It never got violent, just funny.
Girl begins the rule explanation again.
First, if the Fire touches the Ice, the Ice has to freeze.
Boy: No! Ice doesn’t freeze!
Girl: Oh yeah. I mean, when Ice touches Fire, then you freeze.
Everyone giggles at this. They are glared into silence by a stern look from Boy.
Boy: Tell them about 10 seconds.
Girl: I’m telling them! Let me tell them! Ok, you have to wait til you count to 10.
Kids agree, and all begin to count to 10. (More or less, the 2’s are having trouble past 5)
Boy: NO! Not now! When you’re frozen.
Counting ceases with one curly haired exception who is glared into silence, eventually.
Boy: You’re telling it wrong, I’m going to tell now.
Girl: I’m telling it right! You keep interrupting!
Boy: I’m not!
Girl: There’s no interrupting. You have to wait til someone’s done talking.
Boy falls over backward at this news. He is now lying spread-eagle on his back in the grass.
Girl resumes rules, only to discover children have left.
Children are rounded back up, organized into their respective teams and ordered to:
RUN!!!
Everyone but Mr Blonde runs. Mr. Blonde informs all that he wasn’t ready when they yelled ‘run’ and therefore it is: UNFAIR.
The two 2’s ran to the sandbox, got in and started playing. Miss Redhead and Miss Brunette ran for about 10 seconds before running to a climbing toy, jumping on, and announcing they are now to be known as Elsa and Anna. They begin to belt out
♫♪ LET IT GO! ♫♪
Miss Blonde announces she needs to go potty and goes into the house.
Boy and Girl stop running and survey the scene.
Girl: I guess that game is too grown up for little kids.
Boy: Yeah, I guess you have to be in kindergarten to understand big kid games.
Um, yeah, I guess you do.
Cute 🙂