Every year, the second grade at the school my kids attend puts on what they call a "wax museum." They dress up as best they can as some famous historical character and when someone drops a coin in their can, they recite a brief info blurb about this person. Two years ago when my daughter took part in this, she was Reba McIntire. This year it was my son's turn, and he chose Davy Crockett.
I bought him a fur cap with a coon tail, pretty much like the one I used to have when I was a kid, and with that and a toy Kentucky rifle as his props, he did a pretty good job. The toy rifle is totally vintage--I got it for Christmas when I was about his age. And it was a big hit.
I'm just mentioning this so you'll know that there is at least one public school that doesn't fly into P.S.H. and start expelling kids for Things That Look Like Guns But Actually Are Not.
I made several tours and stopped and put a coin into the can for just about every frontier-type character, and my son wasn't the only one with a toy gun. I also noticed William Clark (who also had a big toy tomahawk), Meriwether Lewis, Wyatt Earp, Sam Houston, Pat Garrett, James Bowie (who also had a toy Bowie knife) and Annie Oakley. There was also a Theodore Roosevelt who didn't have a toy gun but did have a toy sabre. Lewis & Clark were also wearing fur hats.
At one point the school photographer stopped at my son's spot and told him, "I need a good picture for the photo board in the hall, so grab your gun and take a good pose!"
It was so cool to be in a gym full of kids, many of whom were playing with toy guns, and see parents walking around talking and nobody soiling their undies. It slightly restores my faith in the world.
And everybody wanted to see that vintage toy Kentucky rifle.
Sounds like a great time. You're lucky to have your kids in such an open minded school.
ReplyDeleteIf they did that at my kid's school there would be 50 kids in black face droning on about hope and change.