When my sons were little, they always wanted to play “storyline.”
“Mommy, can we play storyline?” one or both boys would ask, tugging on my sweatshirt as I tried to whip up something reasonably healthy for dinner.
“Let’s play storyline!” they’d shout enthusiastically, the moment I’d finally collapsed onto the couch after a long day in the classroom.
I’m sure there were times when I couldn’t muster the energy for storyline; but the truth was, I loved to play storyline, too. While I finished up dinner or turned off the TV, I’d send the boys to round up our characters. This usually involved them dragging their plastic bin of action figures into the living room. A few of my old Barbies and some of their dad’s Adventure People were mixed in with newer superheroes, Ninja Turtles, and Playmobil people.
The three of us would set about determining our conflict. Were our characters on a quest? Who were the good guys and who were the villains? Did we need any other props or scenery? Maybe a pencil box could be a treasure chest, or a pile of pillows could serve as a mountain that needed to be scaled. We’d grab a cardboard box for a makeshift cave.
We played for hours.
Today I babysat my granddaughter, Blair. Her dad, Jack, is my older son. He came home from work early to find Blair and me sprawled on the living room rug with all her Fisher Price Little People scattered around us. Blair, who is only seven-months-old, was on her tummy with the Santa Claus Little Person clutched in her chubby fist. She alternately chewed on his red stocking cap or used him to knock down the other Little People I had so carefully arranged. I took this to mean that Santa was the villain today.
When Jack walked in, he knew right away what we were playing.
“She doesn’t understand it yet,” he said. “But she’s going to love storyline one day.”
It made me happy to know that storyline would continue to be part of our family line.
16 responses to “Storyline”
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What a precious gift, tradition and memory you have made with your children and now grandchildren. The fact that Jack recognised the game shows just how much it was valued. Here’s to the next generation of ‘storyline.’
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Thanks, Kim! It’s so nice to be reliving (with my granddaughter) some of those fun times when my boys were small.
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This is where the tried and true, lasting memories are made. You are raising a storyteller! She’ll shine in writing class because she will have learned it all from her Grammar. My late father, a pastor (hence my time in Louisville as a child while he was at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary there) collected everything, but especially arks. We played with them as children and had an eclectic collection Noah never saw – California Raisins, Little People, even those little country cupboard rabbits and mice that went with dollhouses of their own. Your slice brings back all the best memories, and I can surely see how your son walked in and knew immediately that the tradition would continue……as he will do with her children someday.
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Thank you, Kim! I would love to have seen those arks! In fact, in my analog bag for Leigh Anne’s party, I have a flannel graph of Noah’s Ark. I loved my flannel graphs as a kid. My mom had them because she taught Sunday school, but she would let me play with them as long as I was careful. My dad is a retired preacher in Eastern Ky. He and my mom live and work on a Christian summer camp now. When I saw that you could still order flannel graphs, I jumped at the chance. I have two sets: Bible stories and fairy tales. I’m excited for Blair to get a chance to play with them when she’s a little older.
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A great war to spark creativity and build lasting memories. I can picture you, your son, and your granddaughter all on the floor creating stories, memories, and creating a special bond.
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Even though Fisher Price Little People are supposed to be for ages 18 months and up, my son insisted on getting several sets for Blair’s first Christmas…just so we could play storyline. Thank you for your comments!
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Lori,
So much of what we teach our children finds its way to our grandchildren. This game sounds so fun. I’m glad it evokes memories for your son that he wants his child to experience.-
Thanks, Glenda! I’m thrilled that Jack has such happy memories of storyline.
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Oh how I love this! Such a simple game to spark such creativity and imagination. This will be a wonderful tradition to continue with your granddaughter.
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I hope so, Elisabeth! Doll house dolls and paper dolls helped my imagination grow; and for my sons, it was action figures and storyline. I’m hoping Blair has a wonderful imagination as well. Thanks for reading my slice!
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What a fun Grammar you are! I’m sure you were llke this in the classroom too. Sounds like you are close to your son and granddaughter. Interesting that you had two sons and then a granddaughter, and I had two daughters and now a grandson. I bought Noah a giant yellow bus, and it has all kinds of Little People with it. He really enjoys playing with them. Great stories are coming from your babysitting adventures!
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Thanks, Heidi! Blair doesn’t have the Little People bus yet (maybe for her Easter basket). Thanks for reading and commenting on my slice!
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I’ve been looking for you most of the evening, but I kept getting sidetracked by other slices. I should have started from the bottom! I love this idea of storyline and can’t wait to try it out with my three grand boys, 4, almost five, 6, almost 7 and 9. I can see all kinds of possibilities. I like the way you used a bit of dialogue to make your story come alive. You rocked that concluding sentence: “It made me happy to know that storyline would continue to be part of our family line.”
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Those ages are perfect for storyline! I hope you and your grandsons enjoy it. Thanks for reading my slice, Ramona. I really appreciate all your comments.
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This one melts the heart! What a fun way to teach story elements through play, and then to pass it down to the next generation, and then to realize that he knew what you were doing! Oh, my heart!
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Thank you, Leigh Anne! We had so much fun with that game over the years. I’m really glad Jack remembers and wants the game to continue with Blair.
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