Hunting for Gruffalo

Written by Ally John

In the first guest blog post, Ally John tells us about hunting for Gruffalo with her toddler grandson.

We have just returned home from being out Gruffalo hunting! We put the ‘baby’ in the basket and off we went. Neither of us knew at the time of leaving we would end up hunting for Gruffalo (I just needed to walk the dog).

The graffiti on the walls we saw became messages from the Gruffalo to my grandson, the coat on the floor in the woods was obviously left by the Gruffalo for us to find! The excitement and the story telling, with the questioning, thinking, his imagination of what was happening was an observer’s delight.

Time to play with my grandson is time consuming, unpressured, led by him, funny, has no constraints and the best time waster ever! Indeed, I find myself being told off by my son for ‘playing’ and ‘encouraging’ such behaviours! The thing is I don’t really care what he or others may think, the giggling, the hilarity and my grandson calling ‘Nana look, come and look’, is too delicious not to encourage, I just have to do whatever he asks me to do!

Being a ‘Nana’ is so very different from being a ‘Mum’. There are time constraints, other jobs to be done, going to work to be paid – that’s what I did as a responsible mum.

Being an ex-playworker with the knowledge that gives you (too late for my kids to benefit from) brings a whole new dimension to the proceedings of playing alongside my grandson. The only responsibilities I have are that he is safe, loved and continues to Gruffalo hunt for as long as he wants to!

Grandson 2½  Nana 54½

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