Will you play with me?

With the academic year 2011-12 coming to a close, summer vacations have begun in full swing for most young kids. Over the weekend we had Abhay’s close cousins visiting us right after they turned in their last exam paper! So for the last four days, we had three boisterous boys creating havoc in a place that used to be our home! J Abhay of course enjoyed the company of his older cousins while they got to pamper their youngest cousin who seemed too young to rival with them!  With their academic year drawing to an end, exams over, schools closed with no more lessons or homework to do and days getting longer, there was nothing to stop these three boys from doing what they’ve always wanted to do - non-stop, uninterrupted and unadulterated play leaving us parents and grandparents short of breath, energy and at times  … our temper!

Before we knew it, our action packed weekend flew past and it was time for them to go home. Since Abhay missed his beloved cousins today, I tried to cheer him up by having him read about Margret and H.A.Rey’s Curious George in “Let’s play” written by Catherine Hapka.  A part of Curious about Phonics series, this Early Reader introduces emergent readers to long a  vowel sounds. George wants to play but cannot decide what to play – should he play a board game, or baseball or with a toy train, or with his pail and spade by the river side? Just then an alligator swims out of the river and offers to play with him! ‘No way” he shouts as he runs away! The book ends with George asking you ( or your little one) a question – Will you play with George? This is not a story book of sorts but Abhay definitely got perked up on seeing Curious George and his funny antics! Cheer up …...my curious little one, if not Anirudh and Aditya, you’ll sure find someone to play with you this summer!!!