Last time we went to the library we took out two Winnie the Pooh books and both of them featured one of the bear’s favourite games, playing pooh sticks. To quote the book:
“Poohsticks is an easy game to play. After all, it was invented by Pooh, who isn’t a very complicated bear.
Pooh and Piglet would drop their sticks into the river, then run to the other side of the bridge. If Pooh’s stick floated out first, he won.”
It’s a simple game but it also produces a lot of fun. Later on in one of the books when Tigger bounces in uninvited to Eeyore’s party Christopher Robin suggests that instead of insisting he leave (because he bounced Eeyore into the river) that they all play the game. It’s an activity that they can all do together. I think it’s also a good point to note that rivers keep flowing, life goes on and we all come out the other side.
Stick thrown in!
Stick comes out!
Nicky wanted to play this game too after reading these books, so we seized the opportunity when my dad visited to go to Emmarentia and find a bridge to throw a stick. Now, the bridge wasn’t as big as Pooh’s but it served the purpose.
I tired to give him smaller sticks (I think that works well) but he decided he had his own ideas to make the stick go faster. He would throw it at an angle. I don’t think that worked so well because sometimes it would get stuck in odd places. I tried to get him to throw it where the river was flowing and would carry the stick well.
In any event we had a lot of fun throwing sticks in the river and Nicky had lots of fun. And grandpa took lots of pictures.
It is the simple things that matter, I so love that you went out to play ‘Pooh Sticks’ instead of it remaining fiction. It is these things which children cherish for the rest of their lives
Thanks Sula!