Not in the News as such

Sounds brilliant fun; love the idea of the bum-whacking game and am trying to think how I can adapt it for only four children!

Quite agree that children are marvellously creative when given the opportunity. I hate the way so many are constantly 'entertained' and never given the space to exercise imagination. Mind you, when mine invented sledging down the stairs on a tin tray it was a pain

Brilliant bagitha and well done to the Cubs who came up with the ideas. Children have great ideas if only we 'grown-ups' would allow them free range. Do they still call the leader Akela? (Don't know if I've spelt that right). I loved being a Brownie, Guide etc and my 2 eldest have joined Explorers. I think that is the equivalent of Venture Scouts and Guides when I belonged.

Children's imagination is amazing, its a shame a lot of it is lost on entering Adulthood

I wish my Brownies (60+ years ago) had been that much fun! Children have great imagination, but it takes a leader like bags to encourage it and give it free rein.

Baggy how great to hear that the parents joined their children in some of the planning etc. When I was working in our local (very middle class) primary school some years ago I discovered that very few of the children spent any time on joint activities with their parents, so my husband and I started up a parent and child craft club. It was on a Friday after school and included a meal - and every week there was a different theme. In the beginning many parents tried to 'cry off' and leave their children, but we remained strict that every child had to be accompanied and after a while it was wonderful to see the interactions taking place within families. We ran the club for years, but eventually handed it on to others when I became too unwell to manage.
Your efforts will be remembered through the years Baggy and I am quite certain that the parents and children will appreciate all the effort you put in to ensuring they have a good experience with you.
And I agree, kids are fun!!

MrsJJ when we were first married (nearly 50 years ago) we held some good boozy (grownup) parties. At one, the lost popular game was sledging down the stairs on a tray. One guest missed the detail that a tray was necessary, and next day she phoned us to describe her black-and-blue bum.

My grandchildren love the balloon thing. I use stick-on velcro to attach the straw (threaded on string)to a blown up long balloon. When let go it will travel the whole length of my garden, which is downhill. We have tried making paper baskets and sending light items along too.

Baggy DH says they used to call it "McGinty & McGonagal" when he was a cub in Glasgow. What a memory he has!

Shysal Have you tried sending messages up to a kite? You roll up the paper and tie it to itself round the string and let the air-currents take it up to the kite.

Thanks for the idea elegran, I have never heard of this. I have managed to perfect the art of kite flying since becoming a gran, so shall bear that in mind.

You may need to twitch the line a few times if it sticks, but it does go up in time. Cellophane toffee wrappers zoom up the string, and are nice colours too.

If they are loosely tied, they eventually blow away, which, of course, means that the message is on its way to Santa or wherever.

elegran thanks.

ariadne, is that the bum-thwacking one that's called McGinty and McGonagal? Great name for a game! The cub who brought the 'truncheon' said his dad used to play it.

My DH and I had a Daycare in our home for years, with 12 children of various ages. One day our new refrigerator came in a nice big box. DH cut the box and stuck it back together to make quite a long piece of cardboard. He then proceeded to "bowl" with the children! The cardboard went from the Dining Room thru to the Living room, quite a long way. The children were delighted and we all were in fits of laughter. Lasted until DH's back gave out!

A hardboard box - now you're talking Sally - so many possibilities.......
My g/d's frequently make necklaces and bracelets from my pegs........
Bagitha - your cub meetings sound like great fun

of course that should have said a 'cardboard' box.............[doh.....]