This weekend we went to the woods and as our little one is getting bigger he is getting more and more interactive with his surroundings. This time he did the typical boy thing and played with sticks, he scratched in the mud, banged them against stuff to make noises, tried to eat them and just plain enjoyed carrying them around with him.
So what is it with boys and sticks? I've worked with early years outdoors for a few years now and one thing I have noticed is that although girls do also enjoy mucking around with sticks, it's the boys who really use them to their full potential. I can see the attraction, a stick has a multitude of uses, they can be wands, walking sticks, drumsticks and swords, I've even seen them used as warning triangles!! They can be collected, compared and treasured and they often are. My little boy kept hold of one particular stick all the way back to the car and only gave it up to have a sleep.
So is this just a boy thing? Has anyone else noticed that boys have more of a tendency to play with sticks than girls? Or do you have a little girl that gets just as much enjoyment from sticks? I'd love to hear from you.
I’m a girl and I would beg to go on woodland walks so I could pick up sticks.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I remember mostly wanting to peel off the bark to make them into ‘flutes’ and ‘totem poles’ more than anything else… although they were definitely used to poke mushrooms, whack long grass and test puddle depths too.
Thanks for the comment Fe. Lovely to hear your memories :-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe it isn't so much that girls don't play with sticks but that they use them differently?
I love the idea of making totem poles with them! I reckon I might try that one.