When you were a kid did you have a special place in the woods? A place where you could be anybody? A place where you could build a town out of sticks and leaves became money, and time flew by? A place that only a few friends (or your siblings) knew about? A world that was full of possibilities?
This fall I had the pleasure of spending ten Fridays in a row with twelve children bent on creating a place of their own at Boxerwood. The idea was theirs and got jumpstarted after we all read the book Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran. Almost immediately after finishing the story the children asked themselves, “Can we make a place like that?’ Thus the journey began. Working together, we blazed and cleared a spot in the woods, discussed what our community needed and started building forts.
The kids decided what building their town needed and voted on the different roles each person would have. Before long we had a mayor, doctor, sheriff, firefighters, shop owners, dancers, and builders. The children, ages 6 - 8, made and agreed on the laws. It was inspiring to see them working together and creating a world of their own. They named their world, Stick City.
On the last day of our adventure, we invited parents to come out to Stick City for a covid-safe guided tour. I loved hearing parents talking about how they had a special place like this when they were young. It was just what they wanted for their child--especially in this topsy-turvy year. Although our 10-week PALS program has now ended, the families are already making plans to return with their children on their own and to keep playing outdoors.
That’s success.
(click photos to enlarge)
overheard
october 2
Charlie: Pinecones will be the $100 bills.
Donovan: Wow, we got a lot of $100 bills! We need help! ...We need to get the pinecones! There’s thousands of dollars!
october 30
Eli: Since there’s so many leaves, don’t you think we should have a bank?
Margaret: Another law: You can’t just take money off the ground--you have to earn it.
Sally: Now that I’m a doctor, I actually got to give the Mayor a flu shot today.
november 6
Margaret: We need a Planning Commission.
Clara: Theo, are you still working at the bakery, and Eli, are you still in security?
Charlie: I think I figured out what I want to be. I want to fix machines.
