Another visit to Tårnhuset

We’ve been going to the Tårnhuset playgroup a little less these days, since it now costs money (used to be free!). But, we still enjoy it about once a week. On this day, I tried to get pictures of the children’s favorite aspects of a Tårnhuset morning: the parachute after group songs, the xylophone, the big box of trains, and the other children.

They got the parachute out! All the children sit in the middle and the adults hold the edges and flutter it up and down. They sing this silly song about “Hokus-a-Pokus Hifilli-okus” (spelling?).

We had to get a movie of the xylophone!

Usually C is the one with the trains (and he did get them out), but he’s wandered off and Ruby is still using them. That’s his favorite excuse for not cleaning up these days: “Ruby’s work!”

This picture gives you an idea of what it’s like on a crowded day. Only 20 children are allowed at a time, but that also means a bunch of adults.

Ruby explores all over the play rooms. Here, she has some sleigh bells; she brought them into the kitchen and is playing with the abacus.

At the beginning of the morning, there is some free play time. Then a group time for songs. After that everyone sits down to eat their lunch.

See that guy in the brown shirt? The first time we met him, we were in a group of people and someone told him what C’s name is. He said in Norewgian “Is that a name?” My response was “It’s his name,” in a deadpan are-you-an-ass-or-are-you-just-dumb tone of voice. In his defense, there is a list of government-approved names for Norwegian children and you have to get a special exception to name your child something else. I guess that’s to save children from people like us!

One of the things I love about the playgroup is that Ruby and C get to interact with other adults. I’ve seen so many children who don’t get to be with adults other than their parents, and it can make them so shy of new adults. Also, everyone is really kind and all the parents play with all the children pretty equally. It’s interesting.