Saturday 12th June

Virginia, Andre, Iona and Taz were not only very happy about meeting more of our families in person on Saturday, but also very excited about welcoming back our friend & fantastic actor-pedagogue Effie to the Licketyspit Team and to tell her everything about our Zoom adventures with our friends. 👩‍🦰

We set up our playing & picnic areas and told Effie so many things about you all and your wonderful ideas and creativity over the lockdown months and we realised how special it really is that we can now finally get together to enjoy each other’s company! 

It was breezy in the morning and the trees were singing around us and by the afternoon the clouds were rapidly moving and the sun was on and off for a bit until it took over the clouds and shone on us all. And although finding our spot proved difficult for some families, you all persevered and so did we and we gathered everyone in the end with big smiles on our faces.😃

So on this fantastic Saturday we welcomed Martha, Chris, Chris Junior, Calvin & Christabel, Huma, Azaan, Eshal & Ayra, Diana, Gyan & Ayjei, Wendy,Leo & Jayden, Fathima & Yumna, Amina, Areeb, Sarim & Rohan, Alimat & Muzamil, Muqseen & Murshidat. Olayinka, Zainab, Ope & Taiwo, Catherine, James & Emma, Titilayo, Barakat, Aliyat & Ayomide and Fatou, Tijan, Moudou & Aziz…what a gang!

It was fantastic to see the grown ups taking playing as seriously as the children do and a special shout out to the older brothers and sisters that rarely join us on the Zoom but got teased by the fun of being in the big circle, having a laugh and letting any worries go and they proved to be fantastic experts at playing and at all things creative! 🗯️🎇

The Magic Ball got us kayaking down a fast river and manoeuvring downstream, finding an eco that says your name and climbing a massive mountain with ropes! It also took us to the moon where walking turns into dancing and we met the Man of The Moon 🌛 who was not impressed at us tucking into his MoonCheese! We offered to make more cheese for him and we concocted the most fabulous new flavoured cheese with milk & butter, smelly scarfs & chocolate…’Let’s make some cheese! Let’s make some cheese! Think of all the things that make you sneeze’… But it wouldn’t be MoonCheese unless you do the CheeseDance around the pot! 🧀 Our MoonCheese not only it turned out delicious it also gave us wings to fly around and down back to Magic Ball.

Amina made delicious samosas at home for everyone and while some sat in the sun chatting others went to explore the den that Virginia found in the woods! It was so cool that Areeb got inspired and came up with the idea of having Porridge & Play at night and camping and telling stories round the fire and cooking. 🔥

Aren’t we lucky to have wonderful green spaces to explore and enjoy and fabulous friends old and new to meet up with and play together? 🌿🌹