Welcoming in a new month – in traditional style

We were so proud of our recently-completed and ready-to-play 'feely' games and we were itching to share them with someone.  And who better than our mums and dads?  So a hastily-written ‘if-you-happen-to-be-passing-tomorrow’ kind of an invitation was written and children raced home clutching them in hot sticky mitts (well; kind of!)  “Come to collect me a little bit early” – was the gist – “and pop up to the classroom for a quick round of ‘Find it; Feel-it’ before home-time.”

And we really did, right up until the very last moment, intend that to happen.  But then a bright, warm, sunny May Day afternoon got in the way.

You see we had tried out our new class maypole in PE the previous week – and it was such fun, that we just had to have another go.  Possibly even at plaiting this time.  Mid-way through the morning we trouped outside, lugged out the maypole and the music player (and even arranged for an extension cable) to the daisy-strewn grass…..

and set things up.

And do you know what?  Things went so well (not too many knots or tangles) that we thought maybe our mums and dads might like to see us dancing round the maypole too.  After all, it was such a bright, warm, sunny May Day afternoon.

And so, at the end of the day, with a group of slightly bewildered-looking mums and dads and a sister or two squatting on the edge of the sandpit, standing or sitting on the daisy-strewn grass in the shade, we eased ourselves into a more-or-less straight line, cranked up the music…..and skipped towards the maypole to collect our ribbons.

With girls facing clockwise…..

and boys in the opposite direction…..

we then skipped our way through an immaculate rendition of The Barber’s Pole.

And we even wound it back again to where we had started!

Feeling just a little bit proud of ourselves, our ears ringing to the clapping of parental hands, we crossed our proverbial fingers (well I did!) and had a go at weaving.  All those unders and overs in time with everyone else’s overs and unders.  All those opportunities for going horribly wrong.  And do you know what?  Well just take a look…..

at what we managed!