Boys and sticks

My DGD was always picking up anything "shiny", including coins. These would then be left in pockets ....

I have never taken a son or GS for a walk without him quickly searching out the very best example of a stick he could find!
They are variously utilised as pointers of the way, slashers of undergrowth, rifles, machine guns (eldest son saved me from my obliviousness to numerous wolves and bears in this manner). Youngest son had a collection of magic wands. One was left on the school bus to his great distress and he was thrilled when the driver produced it for him the next day, thus confirming its magical properties

Stick Man's delightful. I swear DH picked him up in the park the other day - we put him back there to continue his adventures after the DGS had all had a look at him!

DGS1 and DGS3 like trailing sticks behind them, DGS2 is our stone collector. He takes a couple of new ones home every day in his pocket (or in mine, if I'm on duty - I found one in the lining of my coat recently). Last week he was telling me that his mum and dad kept his vast stone collection safely in the cellar. It's a good job he's not allowed down there.

OH came home with a very big stick again today (no children or GC for an excuse - only the dog). Another one to add to the collection in the garage. The dog prefers his ball!!

This thread reminds me of a walk in the woods with one of my daughters when she was of pre-school age. She had acquired a substantial stick on the stroll and went on a little ahead of us, accompanied by our little dog.

I saw they had both stopped and were investigating something. Upon closer inspection, it was a dead fox. Dd then flipped it over with her stick and it was utterly rotten on the underneath side, humming with flies and stinking to high heaven! Dd (and probably the dog agreed) declared it one of the best walks she'd ever been on.

Our DGS's also like sticks but DGD went through a phase where she had to have her pockets stuffed full of 'pretty' stones, fir cones, bits of bark, bits of moss etc. etc. - not good when it came to be washed.

Definitely a primeval urge.

We often walk in the local forest with our DGS.

DH and boys will immediatly look for sticks that are just right size.
Quite often finding better ones along the way.
My pockets are always full of stones, cones and acorns.

Not long ago we were all down a big hole playing volcanos (as you do)
Grandad and the wee ones managed out of the 'volcano', but Gran was stuck.
As the sides were so steep and slippy, I had to be pulled out holding on to grandads stick, to much giggling from the boys and a further explanation from DH regarding the usefulness of sticks.

Dogs are often partial to a stick or in my sisters dogs case that also includes stones and pine cones and any tatty old balls they can find.

My grandson does it too.
The stick becomes a gun, a sword, or a walking cane.

With my daughter it was stones.

Yes deff boys with sticks...when we are walking my Gs whos 4 picks up the Biggest! stick he can find,, some of them resembling half a tree trunk !!

The little film is lovely too Greta!
I've watched it more than once.

These are lovely posts with charming stories. What is encouraging is that small children still find simple things interesting despite the high-tech environment they grow up in. My other grandson (5 years old) was reluctant the other day to go for a walk but eventually he agreed. We hadn't walked far when he found a one pound coin in the gutter. He was delighted. You never know what you may find when you step outside.

Jalima, I haven't read 'Stick man' but will look out for it. I do like Alex Scheffler's illustrations.

A natural phenomenon I think. DGS, 7 yesterday, has brought back sticks ever since he could walk. They are left by the bin, never to be used again. We have had to dissuade him from bringing half a tree home at times. We try to re-distribute them when he isn’t looking. Stones too. Often hear them rattling round the washing machine,

typo and bad grammar!!

Have you read Stick Man with his Greta - there is also a short film which is lovely.

If he likes sticks (and who doesn't ) then he will love Stick Man.

I like picking up small smooth stones, pebbles and shells, unfortunately it's not allowed to take them off the beach so they get thrown back into the sea.

Both my boys did - and now three of our four male grandsons pick up sticks all the time. Some are HUGE.
The grandson who doesn’t do it much, is made to leave it in the woods, park or wherever. The others take them home, as mine did, building up substantial collections in hallways and porches...

I have benefitted from my DGS's passion for collecting sticks. I use them for staking up plants both in the borders and in my pots. Even if he is out with DS he will spot one and says "I think Granny will like this one"! Sometimes I get really lucky when they have been having a walk on a beach and get a really nice piece of driftwood.

I still have stones all around the house in various pots and decorative saucer type things and a few special polished ones under my pillow the kids and grandkids all know about my pebbles and tell me they ll make sure I have some with me when I croak it

Both of my daughters required sticks on walks as well. It’s not just boys, but rather an age thing.

Very very large piles of sticks at my door lol

My boys favourite where stones and pebbles polished and kept in a big tub they remembered where they had collected all of them,some of them are still in pots in our back garden after all these years.

Both my granddaughters and my grandson like to have a poking stick on walks. Today my two year old granddaughter discovered the noise you can make by dragging a stick along railings. Pure delight! Fortunately, we cross a bridge to get back, so she can play Pooh sticks, which gets rid of them before we get back to my apartment.

My GS used to keep a large store under his bed when he was 4/5. Must be a type of instinct!

We used to play a game with all the sticks that preschool GS would collect when out in the woods. DH would sit down somewhere while we went ahead and made a trail laying the sticks out in arrow shapes to indicate direction. Then grandad would come and make a great show of looking for us while we were hiding behind a tree! ?You had to be there......!

All my four GS's collect sticks when out on walks. Which is pretty frequent.
It ranks with climbing trees and swinging on low branches.
The (dainty) GD's scoff and pick wild flowers instead.

There always used to be a whole heap of sticks outside the house that my DGS had taken home but wasn't allowed to take inside. In fact, there are sometimes some there even now (he's eight this year).
In autumn, it is replaced by a heap of conkers.

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