Planet Play

“I’m going to play for Wales,” announced Gethin.
“You’re as mad about rugby as my Dad,” laughed Tom as they ran out of the house and up the garden to look for a ball.
As they ran, they pretended to pass a rugby ball to one another, lunging and dodging as they moved from one side of the garden to the other.

Gethin stopped and pretended to take a kick in slow motion. He could see the ball in his imagination as it soared straight between the posts.
“Just as well you weren’t kicking a real ball,” chuckled Tom. “That would have gone right through Mrs Bevan’s window.”

Unable to find the rugby ball, the boys decided to finish the den they had started to build the week before. They sprinted back down the garden, jumped over the compost heap, and collected the wood and cardboard Dad had sorted for them.

“Let’s make a spaceship,” suggested Tom.

“We could fly to Planet Rugby,” said Gethin, but Tom was not so keen on that idea.

“No! Planet Football!” he argued.

In the end, they decided the spaceship would be called Apollo 3-2-7 and its first flight would be to Planet Play!

They worked hard on the spaceship and, with the help of some kitchen foil, they were almost ready for take-off.
“Do spaceships have steering wheels?” asked Tom.
“It would be a good idea,” said Gethin. “Have you got one?”

As Tom looked out of the den he saw Megan galloping up the garden path on her hobby-horse.
“Megan,” he called, “will you fetch the bicycle wheel Grandad gave us, please?”
“Only if I can play in your den,” said Megan.
“OK,” they agreed. “Bring the wheel and an extra box.”

While they waited for Megan, the boys finished the last touches to the spaceship’s control panels.
“It looks amazing!” sighed Gethin as he leaned back in the captain’s chair. “Ready for launch, First Officer Tom?”
They both laughed and began counting down.

10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5…
The ship began to shake and shudder. The floor was spinning like a whirlwind and WHOOSH! they were sucked out into space.

CRASH! The spinning stopped abruptly causing them to fall out of their chairs. As they picked themselves up they saw a field stretching before them. Somehow, they were dressed in football kit and they could hear the roar of a crowd.
A ball was coming towards them and, without thinking, Gethin trapped the ball with his foot and passed it to Tom. He dribbled it at the most incredible speed down the field.
He controlled the ball, turned, took aim, and kicked it towards the goal.

“GOAL!”
The boys could hear the cheering of the crowd but as they looked around they found that they were back in their spaceship and on the move again.
“Gosh, that was fantastic!” shouted Tom over the roar of the engines.

Once again the spaceship stopped as quickly as it started. This time, as the boys stepped out, they saw creatures of different shapes and sizes playing a very strange game.

“What are they playing?” asked Gethin.

“I have no idea,” answered Tom, “but it looks like they’re trying to get the balls into those baskets. It looks like fun. Come on!”

They joined in as the creatures passed the ball. Sometimes they bounced it, sometimes they kicked it. Sometimes they threw it, sometimes they dribbled it. And sometimes they scored in the baskets.

All of a sudden, a ball came flying towards Gethin, quickly followed by two of the biggest creatures he had ever seen. Bravely, Gethin took hold of the ball in two hands and carefully took aim. It sailed into the air and plopped into the nearest basket.

“Great shot!” somebody shouted.

Gethin was delighted with his shot but had no time to celebrate before the control panel lights began to flash and with a whirring and whining of engines they were off, twisting and twirling, twirling and twisting back through space.

Where were they going? Where would they land?
“Hey Gethin,” Tom shouted. “Where do you think we will end up next?”
“No idea,” answered Gethin as he clutched tightly to his seat. “I just wish we had waited for Megan and the steering wheel before this ship decided to take off!”

“Help!” … “Tom!”
The boys looked at one another. “Megan!” they both shouted together.
Suddenly, they were spinning again, around and around and around. ZAP! Back to the ground! The boys ran out of the den.

Megan was pushing and pulling and pulling and pushing as she struggled to push the pram up the path with the big, heavy bicycle wheel balanced on top.

“You need to help me with this,” Megan said crossly. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you for ages.”

The boys looked at one another. Their faces were bright red, and they were sweating, puffing and panting.

“Oh, just putting the finishing touches to the den,” said Tom as he winked at Gethin. She would never believe them if they told her.

The three children worked together to get the pram up the steps. Tom pulled, Gethin pushed and Megan held onto the wheel making sure it did not fall off.

Together, they finally got the steering wheel into place in the spaceship.
“Grandad’s here!” called Mum.
“Who wants to play ‘Tip and Run’ in the park?” asked Grandad.
Gethin and Tom looked at each other. Should they go with Grandad or back into their spaceship?
“It was a fantastic adventure,” said Tom, “but I’m not ready for another one just yet. How about you?”
“Me neither,” said Gethin raising a finger to his lips.
He wanted to keep their adventure a secret.
“OK, Grandad. I’m batting first!” called Tom. “No, me!” yelled Megan as she ran on ahead.

As the children left the garden, the boys stole just one last look at their wonderful spaceship then hurried off to play.