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KIDS UNITED
It is so much fun to belong to a circle of friends. It lets us share ideas and find out how we all live. Sometimes we live differently, but that's part of the fun. Sometimes we talk differently, but that's how we communicate exciting ideas. Sometimes we look different, but underneath our hair and clothes and skin, we're really all the same. We're a circle, and whether we're boys or girls, we're friends. And that's the most important thing in the world.
CHOOSING SIDES/PICKING SLIDES
Part of the circle of friends had elected a leader, and it was Erik. It was done democratically, which means that they all voted on who would be the head of the circle. Erik was nominated by Tommy and all of the friends who thought that Erik would be the best leader voiced their approval. Throughout the playground, there were lots of smiles and handshakes, pats on the back and excitement because Erik had said that, as leader, he was going to build a tree house.
"It will be the greatest tree house the friends have ever seen," said Erik as he stood high atop the sliding board on the swingset. "It might even be the best tree house ever built, even better than the one built by the Swiss Family Robinson!"
And the crowd cheered. The crowd, by the way, was all of the boy friends.
But off on the side, there was another group of friends-the girl friends- that wasn't so sure that a tree house was the way to go. They agreed that they needed a playhouse of some kind, but they all thought that it would be best to build a fort, on the ground, where it would be easier to get inside, and could grow to be as big as the friends wanted it. These friends nominated their own leader, Suzie, and the girls all cheered.
"I promise that the fort we create will be big enough for anyone who wants to play and that as long as a friend wants to be with us, they are welcome," Suzie said as she stood in the middle of her circle of girl friends.
The boys stood off to the side and watched. The girls stood in their circle and clapped.
"Well," Erik said finally. "We better get to work."
The boys began to gather branches and pieces of wood. They hauled in rope, and hammers, saws and nails. And they began to design their tree house, with Erik acting as lead builder.
"Our tree house will be much cooler than your fort," yelled Chehn to the circle of girls.
Meanwhile, the girls began to gather large rocks and bricks and even pieces of clothing (dresses and scarves make great curtains!). They started planning their fort by drawing on the ground with a big stick. They marked the edges of the fort with rocks and drew lines to the next rock. Suzie stood to the side, giving orders.
"Our fort will be much bigger than your tree house," yelled Ana.
Soon, the boys had a floor for their tree house and the girls had a wall for their fort, but the supplies were getting scarce and both Suzie and Erik were beginning to think that they might not be able to follow through on their promises. The circle of boys was losing enthusiasm and the circle of girls wasn't having nearly as much fun as they thought.
Suzie and Erik were each doing as much as they could to try to keep their teams motivated but it was becoming clear that there was only one thing to do: Take a vote on how to continue.
Suzie gathered her girls in a circle and told them that she thought that the two circles should join together to decide whether to build a fort or a tree house. Erik gathered his boys together and told them the same thing. Both circles were a little disappointed at first but then they began to see that maybe this was the better way to go. If they all voted, then they could all work together to have just one playhouse. And it would be the best.
In politics, there are always sides. One group may like one thing, like a tree house, while another group likes a fort. But in the end, both groups are after the same thing: What's best for everyone. Either way, whether the circle of friends builds a fort or a tree house, they will all have a great place to gather together and play.
In politics, people must choose which side they are on, whether they would rather have a tree house high above the ground, or a fort that can go on and on.
Next month, we'll get the results of our Circle of Friends vote, so tune in to see how the friends voted. And see which playhouse will be built based on the politics of choice!
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