Children and their games

Children never cease to amaze me. My two grand daughters, ages 4 & 7, are constantly making up games.

Now, their cousins, my two grand sons ages almost 2 & 3 are following suit.

For example for the last few times I've been baby sitting for them, they've been playing a game 3-year-old Cole made up. It's called police station.

The way it works is that I am a police office, Nicholas is my assistant and Sadie, the dog, is a police dog.

The way it's played is Nicholas, Sadie and I sit in the living room which is the police station with the double doors closed. Cole plays the part of someone seeking assistance from the police.

Cole knocks on the door and when I answer it, he reports that there are foxes all over the house. It's our duty to round them up and lock them into an imaginary cage somewhere. The problem is no sooner do I pretend to lock the door, then they get loose and start running all over the house.

Other variations to this game are Cole knocks on the door and reports that he's lost. As a police officer I of course offer to help him. When I ask him if he knows where he lives he says 24 Charter Bridge Rd. Actually, he lives on Charter Ridge Rd. but it's a small difference so I don't make a big deal of it.

And so it goes. One problem after another. Sometimes it's someone else who needs help. In that case, we all help.

Even 2-year-old Nicholas is into the game. As soon as I get there in the morning, they want to play 'police station'.

It's great fun but I can't help but wonder what's next!