Minds at Play

To the naked eye, this might look like a random smattering of toys with two of my adorable nephews posed by them. However, there's more there than what meets the eye...what we have here is a glimpse into the creativity that lies within their red-headed brains.

Together, they pain-stakingly constructed this "farm", which is one of their favorite things to do at my house. Most of the toys are from actual farm sets that we have acquired through the years. Then, there's the blocks that double as square bales, the balls that double as round bales, the Tonka Jeep that's hauling a milk trailer, and a toolbox, doubling as a multi-purpose storage building.

What this picture doesn't show is the view I have now of them playing with it, gradually adapting it to fit their imagination. Acting out various dramas on this farm of feeding cattle, hauling hay, rebuilding fence, and ramping their vehicles into the storage building. So, some of it is slightly less realistic than other parts, but this is their imagination right now. Sometimes, they play like this for hours on end. The funny thing about it is that, to them, it isn't play, it's work. It's serious, the stuff most childhoods are full of. It's them acting out lives of farmers, much akin to my dad, and generations of farmers that have preceded them.

What I like most is being a "fly on the wall" to this experience, hearing them play, talk, and imagine without any hindrances. One day, they will be past this stage, not wanting anything to do with toys. For now, I simply enjoy and chronicle it, as I do most everything else. Enjoy!