After reading
Veena's post, I realized I have not recorded any of our play time activities. So here it comes.
Our house is relatively TV free, except on weekends when we choose to watch something specific. Sid hardly watches television these days. He does get his share of Thomas and friends and Charlie Lola from you tube though. So most of his (and our) time is spent playing. Although we call it playing, I think it is just children's way of living. Besides the usual games with cars, trains, racing tracks, blocks,bubbles and other toys, we do a lot of pretend play.
1. Once Sid settles with the train tracks, he self talks/enacts the Thomas train stories. His wooden tracks and trains are his favorites. Mine too.
2. Water play. When he was younger, all it took to feed him was a bowl of water and spoon. Now I don't let him play a lot with water (unless it is in the bathroom) for obvious reasons.
3. You can mostly see him on his small red pickup truck pretending to deliver goods, vegetables, fruits and anything. I have even found left over biscuits in it.
5. He totally loves his cycle. In the initial days, he would commute between rooms only in his cycle. (Really!). He used to ask why he cannot sleep on his cycle. Thankfully, he got over it. He still plays the paper/fruits vendor on the cycle. Once he puts it down on the floor, he becomes the mechanic.
6. Rubber tyre - Last year we got a used rubber tyre from a mechanic shop. Needless to say, he enjoys playing with it.
7. Another of his favorite is sitting inside an empty tub. He then pretends to be in a boat dragging it along - sometimes I do the dragging. I am fitter, thanks to this exercise.
8. We also have our daily dose of hide and seek game. Every time Papa comes from office, Sid likes to hide. In fact I have to wait till he finds a good spot to hide, before I get the door. It is pure joy to watch him when we pretend to hunt for him.
9. We have a family game called - bum and nose. No red alerts. This started when he was around 2 years old and it is the same as run and catch, only that before we run we act like we have taken the bum or nose. Pretty interesting game. Source DH of course. It started as a family (read Mama/Papa/Sid) game and now has become an extended family and friends game.
10. Evenings are play time with friends in the apartment park/play area while I take my (slow) walks.
11. We have one wall in our bedroom completely covered with chart papers to encourage Sid's artistic skills. He paints very rarely, but likes to get us to paint/draw while he watches and comments. Anyways, walls saved.
12. In the mornings, when I am busy cooking, Sid entertains himself with a few cups, filter, sieve, water and some colorful dals. He also loves rolling the chapattis.
I enjoyed writing this post musing over each of his games.
