Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Child's play

As Xena grows older, I've been subtly trying to convey to her that it is not my job to keep her entertained all the time. (Yes, you can totally tell that I'm going to be that kind of a mom when she's a teenager.) She's a big girl now and she needs to know what to do with her 'free time' (which is pretty much all her awake time). I strongly believe that some boredom is good for kids because it makes them imaginative and creative. And I'm glad that she's reciprocating.

The haze is not letting up, so we can't do our two hours in the playground every evening, or go to the pool. This means that we are stuck indoors for hours, trying to come up with activities. We still do some things together, of course, but now I've started to leave her alone with stuff and do my chores. Viv is away in the US again (sometimes I wonder if his office has relocated and they just forgot to send me the memo) and it's been a little difficult to juggle everything, especially when I've just started an exciting new job (more about that in a later post!). I'm actually surprised that lately Xena has been so cooperative in letting me work while she keeps herself busy with her books, or toys, or random things that she makes into toys, or her pretend play, which can be so hilarious sometimes, I just have to stop my work, turn and watch ("Oh no, the fish has done pee-pee; I need to change its diaper now!").

Today, I was in the kitchen making dinner when I heard her chuckling away. Curious, I stepped out to witness an amazing sight. Sick of battery-operated toys (they are expensive and are almost always chucked away after a grand total of three uses), I'd bought her a $2-set of these plastic wheels which you can attach to one another to make random things, and she had just discovered a very cool and funny way to make them move. I got her to do it again and recorded it (and some variations).

A little bit of physics ... a lot of fun!








8 comments:

Arun said...

What on earth are those things?

Unknown said...

I noticed that with my son too..the exorbitantly priced Hot wheels set did not hold his attentions as much as a cardboard carton in which the groceries were delivered...:-)
Archana

Arun said...

I mean, how do they fall on the floor, stay still for a bit and then start rolling?

Sayesha said...

Arun,
I think they work like tumbling capsules. Ever played with one? We used to put ball bearings inside empty medicine capsules and put them on a ramp and they'd move like this. The first push comes from the fan's wind and her hands, and after that it's probably momentum/cog at work. :)

Unknown,
Hahaha, sounds familiar! :D

Arun said...

Sayesha, I've never had the pleasure of playing with the capsules you describe. But if there are wheels within wheels, how these work is understandable :)

Sayesha said...

Arun,
Noooo that's the cool part -- it doesn't turn because of the wheels. It actually flips about. :D
Like the capsule toy I mentioned. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCQXm_S4T7s&hl=en-GB&gl=SG

Arun said...

Where can I get me one of those wheel-kits? :D



(kidding, but it is fascinating).

Arun said...
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