Two-year-old Sanjay loves to play in the kitchen. He doesn’t care for fancy, expensive toys.

His Amma’s kitchen, where she makes delicious sambar and fluffy pooris, is his playground.

Little Sanjay can barely reach the kitchen drawers. But somehow he gets hold of one of them and starts to plays with it. Open, close, open, close, open, close. As it goes creak-squeak, creak-squeak, creak-creak-creak, he squeals in delight.

Next, his tiny fingers pull out shiny steel spoons and ladles. Ah! Sanjay just loves the sound of them falling on the floor. Cling-clang, jing-jang, cling-cling-cling. The wooden and bamboo ones don’t make as much noise as they fall dhop dhop dhop.

“Battttttttttttt,” screams Sanjay as he flicks imaginary balls on the floor with spoons and ladles. Click-clack. Flick-flack. Tuck-tuck.

Sometimes, he runs excitedly all around the kitchen chasing light-brown baby potatoes and big, fat onions. He fumbles and falls on a few of them. But he quickly gets back on his feet and runs after them till they scurry gud-gud, gad-gad, gud-gud out of sight. 

When tired, Sanjay squats on the floor with steel cups and copper tumblers. They make great toys too. Especially when filled with water. Sanjay dips his tiny fingers into them and squirts water all over himself and on the floor. Splish-splash. Plish-plash. Flish-flash. Amma doesn’t mind the mess.

Then come out the steel plates. Bing-bang, ding-dong, dum-dum, dom-dom drums away Sanjay. Hearing the throbbing beat of spoons on plates, Sanjay shrieks with joy. Ooooooooooo, yaaayyyyyyyy!!!! 

Yes, the kitchen is Sanjay’s playground. What is yours?