The Pirate Ship

Real Life Pretend Play

I walked by the children's room on the way to my office the other day and this caught my eye. I grabbed my camera to capture it and when they saw me take a picture Auri explained, "We're dangerous Pirates sailing to the Island where we've hidden our gold!" 

Sounds like fun.:o)

I went through the few photos I'd taken and I was disappointed at the everyday disarray. Their beds rarely stay made.  Not if they spend any time at all in their room playing. They use the bed for a thousand things. 

Pirate ships, for instance. 

Caves....Mountains.....Tents.....Castles......Apartments...

The list is limited only by their imagination.

We don't have lovely wooden beds and shelves. (Not yet.) Our beds aren't covered in handmade goodness. (I'm working on it! I promise!)

Part of me doesn't want to post this picture because it's so very ordinary....not to mention that the lighting isn't great.

But it was such a perfect moment. A moment of extreme ingenuity on their part. I LOVE the sail. I have no idea how they thought of that, but I love it. 

I am so pleased that they PLAY. 

Constantly, and with complete abandon.

It's a good reminder that the trappings of Waldorf that I love so much are only trappings. That handmade is best, in my opinion, but not vital.

If you set children free to use their imaginations then it doesn't matter if they have a complete set of Ostheimer or a small box of legos.....or a large playsilk, a fan, and a clipboard for the wheel.....they will create worlds that are so rich that we cannot understand how they do it.

Children are amazing creatures.

And I am delighted that I have the opportunity to learn from them.