I can hear the voice in my head, yelling across the play ground;
“Put the stick down!
It’s not safe, you’ll poke someone’s eye out!
Put it down!”
If the voice didn’t belong to me it was someone I was working with or another parent.
A small child waving a stick around seems to make even the bravest of us suddenly see visions of disaster. A ‘no playing with sticks’ policy seems to be the easiest way to avoid the scenario where one child’s eye balls is somehow skewered onto the end of another child’s stick.
But there is something about sticks that just draw children to them.
If there is a big stick in a paddock of long grass, my kids will find it. Then they’ll fight over who gets to play with it. The stick becomes a fishing rod, a sword, a light sabre, a wand, and monsters giant arm with clawed fingers on the end…. And while I am wincing at the thought of all those possible injuries my kids are busy playing, imagining, problem solving, working together and learning.
So I’m taking a deep breath, I’m putting on my big girl undies and being brave about this.
Yep, I am going to let my kids play with sticks.
Sure, there will be some limits. I don’t think even I am ready for lots of big sticks with lots of children in a small space…. but outside, with lots of space, and a bit of supervision and explanation? I’m willing to deal with the consequences and let my children take a few risks for the sake of learning and sheer enjoyment!
On Sunday morning, in some glorious winter sunshine, we went for a walk ‘up the back’.
Up the back, under the big trees there are lots and lots of sticks. Some of them are HUGE branches fallen from the sugar gums during recent storms. Some of the branches have been chopped up ready to be stacked as fire wood. Some sticks still have green leaves on them and some are as long as we are tall. It is stick heaven ‘up the back’ under the big trees, and I let my kids really enjoy it.
They had sword fights, made fairy houses, spent time stacking fire wood for Daddy, tried to use a big stick like a pole vault. I even let them run around like crazy people, sticks in hand. It was good fun!
Then we collected a basket full of sticks and carried them back to the shed… but more on that next week.
Do you let your kids play with sticks?
Do you let your kids take some risks in the name of learning or fun?
I agree watching a group of boys running around with sticks I nearly stopped them only to see them start crawling and hiding in the long grass stalking animals to shoot. Now I wait to see what the game is or I may be ruining important social play.
Yep! We do :) Though usually its just Henry, without any other kids. He loves to help Grandma pick up sticks around their yard (its a pretty big yard and there’s lots of bigger branches too). He loves having a JOB. There’s something about ‘real’ items like sticks that kids just love.
yep totally. i have a no pointing sticks at people (especially faces) rule though. sticks are way too good. also that whole running with sticks thing has got to be mad. how can you have a good stick game with no running?? well for some stick games anyway.
go stick girl I say!
ps love the big girl undies!xx
Playing with sticks is fine by me, building faux campfires and what not, but running around with sticks isn’t.
A bigger concern for me right now is that my 9 year-old daughter has just started to delight in climbing trees – really high up! Dreading broken bones as a result of a fall, but don’t want to be too over-protective. I used to climb trees at a younger age than her and never suffered any injuries, so I’m just hoping for the same result with her.
PS: Your stick heaven ‘up the back’ under the big trees looks like a lovely place for children to frolic. :)
I love this article! Isn’t it amazing how letting them use dangerous things communicates our trust in them? Kids really appreciate that.