Our First Playgroup

This morning, I took Aaron to the Tiny Tots Playgroup at a nearby Police-Citizens Youth Club. It was our very first time at any playgroup.

I don't know what the usual crowd size is like but today there were about 30 kids there. It sounds like a big group but it didn't feel crowded at all. There was plenty of play equipment and the open area was large.

Aaron has had almost no experience in any group play or any form of led activities. So, he really surprised me this morning when he followed all the instructions for dancing, jumping, stomping and tip toeing. And, I'm so glad that we do so much with music and nursury rhymes at home because it helped him to enjoy the singing part of today.

He's in a 14-30 month age group and the cutest thing I noticed today was they don't speak to each other. They communicate with their carers and make all sorts of squealing noises but they don't say a word to each other. Instead, they get face to face, and then just have a staring competition.

I dressed Aaron in one of his "Thomas" shirts this morning and soon after we arrived, another little boy (holding a little train) came up to him for one of their staring sessions. It looks a little like how the betazoids communicate in Star Trek. This cute little guy was trying so hard to make friends. If we moved to another part of the play area, the boy would come looking for Aaron again. They were so cute!

I tried to see if Aaron would respond but he didn't seem to know what to do. In the end, I couldn't help it, I interfered and gave him some step by step instructions on how to play the "make friends" game with the boy.

We're definitely going back for this again next week. I've also been thinking of starting an informal playgroup once I get back to Palembang so I'll need all the ideas I can get from here.