The genius of kids at play

I sat and watched some kids at play earlier. I’d guess they were between 6 and 8 years old. It was a joy to behold. From what I could make out they had devised a simple shooting game with water pistols. The rules were simple. Nobody can be shot in the back garden and all direct hits render the victim useless for 10 seconds. Only 1 hit per victim and no ‘drenching’. Of course the rules didn’t last long. In fact they lasted about as long as it took the first victim of a drenching.

They re-grouped. A huddle of around 6 kids all re-discussing the rules. They’d defined a core set of rules and pushed the limits. The limits collapsed far too easily. It was fun to soak somebody but it proved completely undesirable to get soaked. The fear of getting ‘drenched’ triggered the group huddle.

What was said I couldn’t make out but this time there were two teams. No lone warriors now. It was all about team work. The first team disappeared across the road and stood firm in their own fortress. Meanwhile the near team (who happened to be in the garden next to my house) planned their attack.

What happened next was a joy. A brief skirmish that saw a good deal of soaking and better still protecting of team mates.

I’m writing this because I was impressed with the organisational skills of a group of pre-school kids with a common interest. A common goal. Their aim was to play and enjoy it. They defined their own perimeters and pushed them. When it didn’t work out they collectively revised the rules.

Genius.