On Friday, at recess, we played duck-duck goose. It was recess time and the transition period between the morning and afternoon sessions. A lot of the kids go home around 12:30, so from about noon to 1:15, everyone is outside playing, while the youngest children who stay all day go to sleep inside. Fridays are generally pretty calm days, so once the morning kids had left, there were only six children left outside.
Playing duck-duck goose reminded me of my own preschool and elementary school years, and how much fun it could be. But it also made me realize that when kids are young, age makes a huge difference. As we get older, ages blend together. The difference between 16 and 17 isn’t really that noticeable, and people will hang out with friends both older and younger than them, sometimes significantly so. Especially with mixed classes, sports, and other activities, the boundary between grades is really quite flexible.
As duck-duck goose reminded me, though, this is not the case in preschool. The difference between three and four and four and five is huge in terms of speech, social aspects, motor control, and so much more! The older kids in the group of seven clearly stood out, they were a lot more competitive and into the game. The younger ones didn’t grasp the game in the same way, as they would go in circles multiple times, laughing and enjoying the attention, before saying “goose.” One kid in particular, the youngest one in the group, didn’t really understand the game. Whenever someone said “goose” he got up and ran around in any direction, with a huge smile on his face, clearly having a good time. While the older students were a little annoyed at the beginning, they calmed down and we were all able to enjoy a fun game outside on a beautiful Friday.
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