Kids Make Me Laugh

@paigea (36317)
Canada
January 21, 2017 10:36am CST
At recess the other day many students were breaking up the hard packed snow and stacking the chunks up to make forts. Then I saw a group of boys sitting on a snowbank holding chunks of snow in two hands. Each of them was madly pressing on the snow with their thumbs. I wondered if they were pretending the snow chunks were electronic games so I walked closer. Sure enough I overheard one boy say, "Wait, I have to shut my game off first." He shut off his snow chunk and ran to play something else. I have seen students use hard chunks of snow as guns and any number of things but that was the first that I saw them used as hand held electronic games. Children can always make something out of nothing. I remember my dad didn't allow me to have a doll when I was young. I made "babies" out of things around the house and wrapped them in a tea towel from the kitchen.
31 people like this
32 responses
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
21 Jan 17
Lol! That's so funny! Our kids at school were not allowed recess if there was snow on the playground. Good thing, because I didn't like being cold way back then, too. Lol! I had a tea towel doll when I visited my grandma, until my uncle bought me one and doll carriage to put it in. I was happy either way.
6 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
21 Jan 17
@paigea Kids do need to let off energy. I suppose Canada is more used to the snow than us wusses in Connecticut. Lol! Glad your dad finally relented.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
@DianneN Some kids complain and maybe some did when I was young too. When it is extremely cold they stay in for recess. After a couple days of that most are begging to go outside. I taught at a small school, so I used to go outside with the ones who really wanted to and let the other supervisor stay in. I found them easier to watch on the playground. That way everyone was happy.
2 people like this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
That is fun that you had a tea towel doll too! I really really wanted a doll and my dad did relent. Oh my, the kids have so much fun in the snow; and there would be no recess from November to April if we had that rule! This week the challenge was getting them to wear their jackets. The sun was shining and the temperature was above zero (freezing) so they thought sweaters would be fine.
3 people like this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
21 Jan 17
It doesn't surprise me they made game controllers out of snow chunks.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (218890)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Jan 17
It makes me vaguely nauseous. I think I'm about to have explosive...oh...no...
3 people like this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
22 Jan 17
@TheHorse I hope you're all right.
2 people like this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
It surprised me.
2 people like this
@dfollin (25351)
• United States
31 Jan 17
Lol! The have imaginations that's for sure!
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
31 Jan 17
It is never boring to watch what kids are playing.
1 person likes this
@dfollin (25351)
• United States
1 Feb 17
@paigea You are right there.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112879)
• El Paso, Texas
22 Mar 23
How sad that your dad wouldn't allow you to have a doll, did your mom ever explain why?
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112879)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Mar 23
I'm glad your dad relented. I was lucky, mom was in charge of us kids and would've gotten me a doll or other toys if she could afford them but all I wanted were stuffed animals ..... I tried to get her to give me a puppy but because we moved around so much that was always a no til dad moved us here.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
23 Mar 23
He just didn't believe in girls' toys and boys' toys. ¯?\?_?(???)?_?/?¯ He believed in everyone having the same toys, the same opportunities, etc. Actually when I say I remember, I actually remember my mom telling me about my Dad's ideas. By the time I can remember things I had dolls. She told me I created "babies" to play with, and he relented
1 person likes this
@jhechorain (1198)
• Susanville, California
5 Feb 17
That is funny! We used to pretend to make mud pies and now they pretend ice chunks are tablets. The way of the world is so strange.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
6 Feb 17
I remember making mud pies. And kids still do all of that too!
• United States
21 Jan 17
When I was a kid in the stone ages we used our imaginations - a different world.
2 people like this
• United States
21 Jan 17
@paigea That's fun, they are thinking.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (218890)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Jan 17
Imagination? What's that? I gotta go play GTA XXV and run over Grandma. Imagination is for sissies.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
They were imagining the snow was an electronic game?
@shaggin (72136)
• United States
10 Feb 17
It is really nice to see kids using their creativity by pretending things about simple objects like sticks and like you said snow. Why would your father not allow you to have baby dolls?
@shaggin (72136)
• United States
10 Feb 17
@paigea Very interesting! I just let my kids play with what they want. Right now my nephew has two twin baby dolls of his grandmother's he has been playing with. My mom and my sister aren't keen on it because they are worried he will grow up and be gay because of it. It's silly he is just being caring and playing with dolls it's not going to make him gay!
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
10 Feb 17
@shaggin Exactly. My late neice bought her son dolls and a baby carriage. He never had any interest in dolls. He did use the stroller for stuffed animals a few times. But mostly it was a cart for various other games. Lol As long as they have a variety of items to develop interests.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
10 Feb 17
He wanted all gender neutral toys ( not that that was a term in the 50s.) as he believed woman should have any career they wanted just like men. Anyway he relented and I had dolls. I still learned to be independent
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Jan 17
Kids sure have quite the imagination :)
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
They do and I love watching them.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Jan 17
@paigea it's cute! Glad you had a good time. :) at least they're getting a long and not fighting!
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
@infatuatedbby Yes, that is what we like to see at recess, fun! Sadly, there is often frustration too.
1 person likes this
@carebear29 (31963)
• Wausau, Wisconsin
21 Jan 17
They are cute too especially when they entertain themselves.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
Very true.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121589)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan 17
When I was little, both of my parents worked for a major newspaper, and they worked at the place where the newspapers were printed each day. They were always bringing home stacks of leftover rolls of newsprint, card stock and other assorted types of paper products, so we had tons of it laying around the house. My brother and I would get out our scissors, glue and tape, and we would create hundreds of different things out of all that scrap paper. Games, toys, puzzles, hats, etc. If our brains could think it up, we somehow figured out a way to make it out of paper. Now that was a great way to put our creative minds to work!
@moffittjc (121589)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan 17
@paigea We still use those big rolls of newsprint at my job. I work in the parks and recreation department of our city, and our after-school staff likes to use those rolls of newsprint in their program. The kids love it when they get to do exciting projects with the big rolls of newsprint!
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
22 Jan 17
@moffittjc Yes, it is great to roll that out and let them create.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
22 Jan 17
That was a great way to create. I used to get those leftover rolls of newsprint for my classroom.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (102889)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
27 Jan 17
Kids are very funny people. That we can agree with.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
27 Jan 17
They bring fun into our lives.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
27 Jan 17
@Deepizzaguy I don't think I know that show.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (102889)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
27 Jan 17
@paigea Especially comedians that play kid roles like Dannah Phirman who was the voice of PBS Kids hero Wordgirl. She is so funny doing her Bunny 4 Kids videos on You Tube.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 17
I used to work with children and it's amazing what they can come up with. :-)
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
30 Jan 17
They keep me entertained.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3239)
21 Feb 17
That's so cute! Why didn't your dad allow you a doll? I remember that I didn't like baby dolls when I was a kid--I wanted Barbies--maybe it's because I had older sisters and no younger ones, so I couldn't relate, lol. I was allowed to have them, though.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
22 Feb 17
@AliCanary I agree!
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
22 Feb 17
He thought good toys were skates, skis, bikes, wagons, board games, building sets, puzzles, etc. No gender based toys. But he relented. I loved my baby dolls and my Barbies. My best friend had no use for dolls.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3239)
22 Feb 17
@paigea - Those ARE good toys, but dolls are good toys, too--anything that allows you to practice nurturing (baby dolls) or social interactions (Barbies) are very helpful, for any gender.
@reskyyandi (3608)
• Indonesia
22 Jan 17
that's great. I really like children too
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
24 Jan 17
Yes, I have a fun job.
1 person likes this
• Indonesia
25 Jan 17
@paigea great.....!!!
• Indonesia
25 Jan 17
@paigea great.....!!!
• Pamplona, Spain
22 Jan 17
Children here that have not been able to go to School have been building Snow men all over the place because for some its their first Snow Man ever. They have never had snow where they live so its a complete novelty to them and they say they want it to happen again. Happy as two peas in a pod making those Snow men and the Adults too as they have never seen that much Snow before either.
• Pamplona, Spain
22 Jan 17
@paigea They live in the South you see and although it has snowed on the Coast it had not snowed where they were for 34 years so they had tremendous fun.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
22 Jan 17
That sounds like so much fun! Snow for the first time.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
4 Feb 17
I think that is actually great, I love to see kids using their imagination.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
4 Feb 17
I love it too.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
3 Feb 17
its amazing what the imagination can get one to use - for the right outcome.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
4 Feb 17
Love watching them make up stuff
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
14 Feb 17
@paigea , kids really do have the best imaginations :) . It's just that even chunks of snow are technological now ;)
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
14 Feb 17
lol, yes, who would have thought of that!
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
21 Jan 17
Kids...they are do unpredictable and what they think and how they analyze things is out of our reach.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
They are fun to watch.
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
21 Jan 17
@paigea yes..no doubts
1 person likes this
• Kingston, Jamaica
22 Jan 17
Kids are the best.
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
22 Jan 17
I have fun at work.
• Kingston, Jamaica
22 Jan 17
@paigea I'm glad you do. Because children are blessings from God.
1 person likes this