Trying to get into the mind of a two year old is often a bit pointless. For example, his Mummy is beginning the long and arduous task of packing for our holiday at the moment. When asked what he would like to take, M’laddo responded with “Annabelle”. Yes, well that’s all well and good but there are a couple of problems with that- firstly she has chicken pox at the moment, secondly and perhaps more importantly, she probably wouldn’t like to spend a prolonged time in your tufty suitcase in the boot of the car, nevermind that she doesn’t like anyone taking her to the toilet or putting her to bed that isn’t her mummy or daddy.
That’s understandable in a way, as M’laddo does like his little friend. But M’laddo thinks about more than his friends- he’s been busy recently devising a game of wit and skill, that can take many a devious turn if the wrong path is taken. This game is called “Shut Door!”.
Shut door takes place either in our king size bed or on the floor with a large duvet. The main gist of it is to spot gaps under the cover where light and fresh air can get in and point at them quickly, shouting “Shut door!” until they are covered. There are various other components to this, which involve: standing up with the covers like a cape and roaring, whispering, wriggling down the bed, putting either mummy, daddy or bunny outside the covers (only to be allowed to return when permission is granted in line with the rules of the game) and jumping up and down a lot.
Once I’ve fully sussed the complex interaction of the rules, I might approach MB Games about releasing it as a kit for all future generations of two year olds to enjoy but I have a feeling it might take me a while to fully get to grips with it…