A spring Saturday – May 2014. In the imaginative world of 5.3 year-old girl
Do you know who is Ferdy the Ant? If you don’t, you are missing on serious adventures in the bug’s world. Ferdy is a charming and skillful black ant who always wears his signature red scarf on black dots. He is generous, brave, smart, he has tons of bug friends and his adventures are endless- There is a book about him, written by Ondrej Sekora.
Ferdy has been Sylvie’s little hero and a friend in plays for awhile. We’ve read the book couple of times. Often she would make me draw him on a piece of paper, cut him out and after she colors it, we would play with this paper Ferdy, as if he is real, playing out some stories and adventures (never exactly like in the book).
She would want me to talk instead of him with the cut out in my hand and we would play for hours making dialogues and stories, including props and other animals. Often she would say: “Pretend he is”…doing this or that and she would direct the story, using me as an actor who enthusiastically follows and adds to her directions. Her fun pretending seems endless-
Actually she is confident she has seen Ferdy in the park and today she wanted to look for him outside again. The question for her was not if we’ll really find Ferdy, but if he would feel comfortable at our home when he comes with us? This is how ideas started flowing and the work began…
S. wanted to build him a Home – A Home for a very special ant. It’s close to our potted flowers- naturally. With sparks in her eyes, she is thinking about what should she gets for his home.
First “he needs a bed”. And she made one out of wooden beads, cardboard, cotton fabric and some cotton for stuffing. Mommy had to help with sewing the pillow only. ( I didn’t want technicalities to stop her creative flow, so I helped with anything she needed me to)
There is a Lady bug on Ferdy’s blanket, because he loves Laura – the Lady bug, explains Sylvie. The pillow is stuffed with cotton and Sylvie made it pretty with sequins. She glued a frame on the bed so his pillow doesn’t fall down. Then Ferdy would need a table, even two tables-
A flower carpet would make an ant feel at home, right? And a vase with a real flower from the park will be perfect. Just imagine now Ferdy is sitting there and having a cup of tea. “I hope he will like it”- she said and started moving the mini furniture pieces around.
It’s time to go to the park and actually find Ferdy the ant now. ” If I pretend I am a flower, he will not be afraid- Here I Am-” and she made herself to a flower:)
Imagibeans 