Coming up the Clyde... A Big Banana Boat!

"We made that boat!"

Aren't children getting younger these days?

What a real seasonal joy it was to be visited today by children from Arthurlie Family Centre, East Renfrewshire. When we explained to them about the boats in the Boat Shed made by older children, they loved all the other boats, but they were quick to let us know that they too were 'big boys and girls' and didn't we know they were 'four and a half!' And as much as they liked the other boats, they all agreed that their favourite one was... their own Big Banana Boat!

So, here's the story of that boat as told to us with pride by the children today...

At Arthurlie Family Centre everyone likes outdoor learning and when they heard about George Wyllie and his Paper Boat, and started to make their own, it was to their garden that they went for inspiration, gathering sticks for the frame and the masts.

When they started to create their own Wyllie-esque, Viking-inspired boat, one of the wee girls said that she thought the sails looked liked bananas. And everyone agreed.

So, they had a good time singing Bananas in Pyjamas as they worked on their boat - and they treated us to this too!

Then they gave their boat a name... The Big Banana Boat.

And they made their own wee boats out of bananas with sticks supporting the sails. You can see two in the photo, and, as you can see, they also brought their own plinth for their scul?ture when they came to the exhibition to put it on display... a banana box.

Their paper boat, just like George Wyllie's when it went to London, to the Houses of Parliament, has a Scottish flag, and they told us about that flag at the stern and, with lots of smiles, about the other one at the top of the mast, the Arthurlie Family Centre flag!

The children went round the exhibition, trying out George's machines, finding the scul?tures they'd heard about, asking questions about ones which they didn't know about, and closely inspecting George Wyllie's Paper Boat.

They watched a wee DVD so they could see George and his boat, and see it being launched, just like the boat yesterday on the Clyde they told us, and they heard him singing his Paper Boat Song, and they left with the words so they could learn to sing it too.

They also got involved in lots of photos as they went round and made a wee video of their visit too.

Today's blip is full of exclamation marks and that's because today was full of wonder. How special to see the world through the eyes of the 'big boys and girls' of Arthurlie Family Centre.

They're four and a half, you know!

(Special thanks to the staff and parent who brought them, and to their headteacher, who ensured the children got involved in the creative activity and came to visit an exhibition, just as her own gran had done before her! Thanks to Blipfoto too. The visit was set up through the site.)