Carosels in the Little Squares

This was our children's favorite discovery in the play spaces.  It is rather ingenious.  Four small chairs around a center circle.  The center post (in this case orange) with a wheel, is fixed in place.  The four green chairs (and the small green circle for the feet) are welded to each other but swing freely around the orange post. So children can choose to stand and push someone else around in a circle, but they can also seat themselves and spin themselves around by pulling to one side or other of the fixed central wheel.  Self-generated spin, fun a parent doesn't have to provide.  Fantastic. 

(26 September 2013)

This one in the play space nearest us was in particular was practically frictionless.  Once the children really get up to speed, they went around 10 times without stopping, and wouldve gone more, if someone wasn't dizzy.

 E calls it "carosel" or "merry go round".  Not the way we use the words in the US, but since we don't yet know what it is called in Russian, it's as good as any name for it.  And free. 

And it spins fine even with a "free rider", in this case a little sister who cannot reach the wheel, let alone understand the need to let go :-) 

(27 September 2013)