This story was inspired by a childhood memory and is about risky play.
"Risky play is defined by thrilling and exciting forms of free play that involve uncertainty of outcome and a possibility of physical injury."
Posted on January 25, 2024
"Dr. Suzanne Beno co-authors a position statement from the Canadian Paediatric Society on the importance of risky outdoor play for physical, mental and social health...
Physically, it increases activity levels and reduces sedentary time, contributing to lifelong physical literacy and possibly enhancing the immune system. Mentally, it supports resilience, problem-solving and conflict resolution while socially, it fosters cooperation, communication and a sense of belonging."
Posted on February 9, 2024
Jump
Leanne put her soup bowl in the sink and looked out the window. She watched a blue car park in front of her house. "They're here," she called down the hall.
Leanne didn't wait for her mom to come out of the bathroom. She ran to the door. She ran outside. She ran down the stairs and down the sidewalk. She ran past her aunt's car. "Hi, Aunty," she called. She ran past her cousin Jeff. "I'll beat you to the playhouse," she called. Leanne kept running but Jeff's legs were longer. He ran past Leanne and he got to the playhouse first.
Leanne walked across the dirt floor to the shelves full of toys. "Want to play—."
Leanne's next-door neighbours Sally and her little brother Mitchell walked into the playhouse.
“Dolls,” Sally said. “I want to play dolls.”
Mitchell and Jeff looked like they had smelled something rotten.
"Boys don't play with dolls," Jeff said.
The boys ran outside.
Sally pulled a doll off the shelf. Arabella had soft, yellow hair and eyes that opened and closed. She wore a green velvet dress with big glass buttons and lace at the neck, cuffs and hem.
Gerdie waited on the shelf for Leanne. Her eyes didn't close and her black hair was scratchy. She wore a dress of stiff denim that tied closed.
"It's snack time," Sally said. The baby bottle really looked like there was milk inside.
Leanne pretended to pour baby food into a bowl. She started to feed Gerdie but Sally said, "No, she doesn't like peas." She grabbed the bowl and threw the peas on the floor. "I'll make you some yummy porridge," she told Gerdie. "Here." She handed the bowl back to Leanne. "She'll eat this. But remember, don't feed her too much. You don't want her to get a sore tummy."
Leanne gave Gerdie three spoonfuls of porridge.
"That's enough," Sally said. "It's nap time." She wrapped Arabella in a soft pink blanket and put her in the crib.
Leanne wrapped Gerdie in a yellow blanket and brought her to the crib. But Sally said, "No, there's not enough room."
Sally rocked Arabella in the crib until... "Shh, my baby is asleep."
Leanne rocked Gerdie back and forth in her arms. She thought Gerdie was asleep too, but Sally said, “She’s crying so loud she’ll wake up my baby.”
Thud. Thud. Thud. It sounded like a moose was galloping across the roof.
“Wa-a-a.” Sally picked up Arabella. “Boys!” She marched outside.
Leanne tossed Gerdie onto the shelve and ran outside.
“Caw. Caw. Caw.” Mitchell fell out of the sky right in front of Leanne. He stayed curled up on the ground.
“Are you okay?” Sally asked her little brother. “Because if you’re not okay, I’m going to tell Mom and then you really won’t be okay.”
Mitchell leapt off the grass like a grasshopper. “I’m fine. That was so much fun. I’m going to do it again.” He limped over to the tree that stood beside the playhouse.
Jeff jumped off the roof. “Superman!” He nearly touched the clouds.
Leanne thought flying looked fun.
Jeff landed with a thud. He stood up. "That was so much fun." He looked at Leanne and then at Sally. “Do you want to try?”
“No! That’s a boy’s game.” Sally held out Arabella. “You woke her up and now I have to rock her to sleep, all over again.” She marched to the playhouse. “Well, come on, Leanne.”
But Leanne said, “No, I want to fly.”
“Fine, break your—.”
“I knew you would. You're going to have fun. You’ll see,” Jeff said.
Mitchell stood right in front of Leanne so she couldn’t get to the tree. “Girls can’t climb trees.”
“Some girls can’t, but Leanne can.” Jeff helped Mitchell get to the first branch.
Leanne balanced on her tiptoes, grabbed hold and scrambled up, from branch to branch until she reached the roof.
Leanne stood beside Mitchell looking down. Things looked so different up there. The ground was so far away.
“Watch me.” Mitchell ran and jumped. “Caw. Caw. Caw.” He came crashing down onto the ground.
Leanne’s stomach felt heavy. She sat down and wrapped her fingers around two shingles that stood up from the roof.
Jeff climbed up and sat down beside her. “Come on, it’s your turn. You’re no sissy. You’re as brave as any boy.”
Leanne said, “You’re right. I am brave, but I’m also smart. And I know what could happen. I know I could get hurt.” She gulped. “Mom!” She called.
“No, don’t. We’ll get in trouble.”
Leanne didn’t care. All she wanted was off that roof. “Mom!”
Jeff and Mitchell ran to Mitchell's house.
“I told you that was a stupid boys’ game.” Sally stood on the ground looking up at Leanne. “And now you’re stuck, aren’t you?”
Leanne tried not to cry. “Sally, can you please go get my mom.”
“Maybe I will and maybe I won’t.” Sally slowly walked away.
Leanne couldn't move. All she did was sit. She was stuck up high on that roof.
The ground was too far away. If she jumped she knew she would get hurt. She’d break an arm or a leg.
Would Sally get her mom? What if her mom didn’t come? What if it started to rain? What if it got really dark? What if she got hungry? What if…
Leanne needed to get down, but her fingers wrapped tighter around the shingles.
“You have to get down by yourself.” That was Sally’s voice. She’d come back.
“But I can’t.” Tears ran down Leanne's face. She wiped them away with her hand.
“You climbed up and now you can climb down,” Sally said. “Come over to the tree.”
Leanne didn’t move.
“It’s easier to climb down than up,” Sally said. “It’s called gravity.”
Leanne let go of the shingles. Then she knelt. Then she stood.
“See I told you you could do it. Now all you have to do is walk over to the tree.”
“But I’m so scared.”
“Everyone gets scared,” Sally said, “even Moms. All you have to do is try to be more brave than you are scared.”
“I’ll try.” Leanne walked over to the tree. She reached for—. “The tree is way, way too far away.”
“I’d get you myself, but I don’t know how to climb a tree.”
“You don’t? But you know everything.”
Sally grinned. “Maybe. But I can’t climb a tree.”
“It’s easy.”
“Show me.”
"All you do is get down your tummy and push your legs out until your foot is on a branch and then you..." Leanne showed Sally how to climb a tree. She went from one branch to another branch to another until she stood on the ground.
***
Reading Guide
Is the playhouse a fun place to play?
Does flying look like a fun game?
Why do you think Leanne wants to fly?
What would you do if a friend tried to get you to do something dangerous?
Do you think girls can be brave?
Do you think boys can be smart?
Who was the smartest person in this story? Who was the bravest?
Do you think Jeff is a good friend to Leanne? How?
Do you think Sally is a good friend to Leanne? How?
Why do you think Sally didn’t go get Leanne’s mom?
What do you think Leanne should say to Sally?
Do you think the boys should get into trouble for jumping off the roof of the playhouse?
Next Sunday...
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