Sunday, May 17, 2009

Games Puttachi plays

If only I could remember and note down all the games that Puttachi has played over the months.... But then, here are a few from recent times.

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Puttachi is eating raisins from a bowl. One raisin drops to the floor. She pushes the bowl aside, takes off her pyjamas, and starts whipping the poor raisin that is lying on the floor. She whips it with all her might, causing it to jump from one end of the room to another, but she continues her relentless whipping. When the raisin rolls under the table or the sofa, she bends down, retrieves it, places it carefully on the floor, like footballers do at kick-off time, and then resumes whipping the raisin.

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Puttachi finds a piece of thermocol. She breaks off little round balls of thermocol, and places about ten or so of the tiny, light, white balls in her cupped hands. She blows on it hard, causing the little balls to fly out and land all around her. Then she patiently picks each one of them, puts it back in her palm, and blows again. Repeats endlessly.

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Puttachi finds one of her small, soft handkerchiefs, and proceeds to throw it in the air, and catch it - and throw it, and catch it - and throw it, and catch it - and - you get the picture.

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Her crib (one end of which is open and is attached to our cot) has a tiny mosquito net. She places an object, like a small toy, over the mosquito net. She gets into the mosquito net and then from within, she starts hitting the object, making it bounce on top of the net. If it falls off the crib, onto the ground, she gets down carefully, brings it back and continues.

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I keep all her hair clips in a box. I don't know what it is about those hair clips - but she takes them out, puts them back in, plays with them for hours and hours.

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Puttachi loves to sweep the house. Give her a broom and a dustpan, and to her, it is equivalent to bliss of the highest order. A couple of days ago, I was totally exhausted, and needed a cup of tea and five minutes to myself. All I did was thrust a broom and dustpan into Puttachi's hands, and that was it. I got my five peaceful minutes - but if anybody had just looked in through the window at that time, it would have been a great sight. I, sitting on the sofa, book in hand, taking sipfuls of glorious tea, and a little girl at my feet, sweeping away with utmost seriousness. I just hope I won't be hauled away for using child labour.

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Her all time favourite game is to catch hold of a stuffed toy and pretend to put it to bed. It is unbelievable how she never tires of this.

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One more favourite is to carry on pretend conversations on her toy phone with everybody she knows.

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Last evening, S~, Puttachi and I went for a walk in the quiet bylanes near our house. Throughout the walk, and I mean, throughout the half an hour or more that we were outside, Puttachi assumed this half-bent posture (have you seen ancient grandmas with bent backs? Like that), and walked about, saying all the while, "Mummum elli? Illi idya? Alli idya? Naanu pranigalu thara mummum hudukta iddini." [Where is food? Is it here? Is it there? I am looking for food like animals do.] Not only did she walk the entire way like that, but she kept up this endless litany of "Where is food?"

Kids live in their own, wonderful world.

10 comments:

Shammi said...

Adorable little thing! (You know what sort of request that amounts to, right, Shruthi?) :)

Jaanamari's appa said...

though abhinav has significantly reduced putting random stuff from the floor into his mouth (a friend says thats the way a baby interacts initially with the outside world, by not just looking and feeling, but tasting everything!). Still thermocol is something he always powders and puts in his mouth even now whenever he gets his hands on any, so unfortunately its qualified as a plaything for him yet!

Thanks - Your post motivates me to finally post a long pending post on the same topic!

Jaanamari's appa said...

This lovely post reminds me of the TED talk (technology education design - talks by leading speakers around the world) touches on playfulness, and the speaker says that for a child with a toy in a box - the box can be more interesting than the toy - because the toy can do only one thing but the box can do lots more things! Watch this video its really great!

Tim Brown on Creativity and Play

Devaki said...

Shruthi, after a long time I am hearing about a child playing like a child. Loved it - this post was like a breath of fresh air!

Sushma U N said...

* I keep all her hair clips in a box. I don't know what it is about those hair clips - but she takes them out, puts them back in, plays with them for hours and hours *

G.I.R.L!!!!!!!!

Swati said...

lovely post ..let me do a similiar one ..aryan does a lot of this :)

Usha said...

HUGS to puttachi.
Tell me when can I come over to quietly watch her do all this?
I wish you could video them for us.

Isn't it her birthday sometime soon?
More hugs to the big girl now.

8&20 said...

adoooorableeee!

shruthi, i'm going to be in bangalore shortly, and for a few weeks at the least. i hope you guys can entertain a visitor... i will happily photograph for you :D.

love.

Mama - Mia said...

hahahaha!

she is one helluva creative kid! Cubby these days is in a mode where he wants to throw stuff, colect and throw it / pour it out again!

and yeah the imaginary phone conversations! :)

cheers!

abha

praneshachar said...

wow great things to share last game simply made me mad mad what a way to enjoy and play puttachi u r gr8 so also u both
making play from inside net putting things on it took back to my childhood days, may by at 6 or 7 I used to enjoy this but Puttachig is amazing
no doubt the children have their own world. but hats off to you u r talking full out of P. u seem never interuupt her except may by when it is injuriious or something like that.
continue and we keep enjoying.

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