by Jules Roberts

Created on: May 17, 2008

My Cuckoo Clock Hat.

I think children are the best at being creative. It's almost a shame that as we grow older we seem to get less opportunities to be artistic. The longer our legs get, the faster we pack away our craft kits, models, sketch pads, pencils, pens, paints, plasticine, play-dough, and fuzzy-felt. Some of my happiest moments have been brought about by creating things.

I remember when I was a kid in school (about 7 years old) and we all had to make a hat for a school disco competition. It must have been around easter time because I had found a small yellow fluffy chick that is usually used for easter decoration. I decided that this chick was going on my hat, no matter what, so I had to think fast about how I could use it.

An idea came into my head that I could make a cuckoo clock hat, and that this chick could be the cuckoo. I weren't quite sure to start with how I was going to do it, so I thought I'd just figure it out as I went along.

I went and found a cereal box and cut it so that it would fit standing up on top of my head. I painted this bit light brown and punched a hole in the bottom of each side and put a piece of string through there so I could tie it under my chin. Then I glued a triangular bit of a box on the top (which took ages to dry) and painted it a darker brown.

Next, I got a shiny gold disc and painted a clock face on it and glued it on my clock. Then I cut out a black arch and glued it where I thought the cuckoo should appear. I stuck little arch doors on either side and glued my "cuckoo" chick in place. This really took ages to dry.

Finally it was all dry and I tied this cuckoo clock onto my head. I had to keep my head up really straight to keep it from falling off. I was quite happy that I had figured out how to make this hat work and that, best of all, my fluffy little chick was included. The hats then all got put safely away by our teacher until it was the disco.

The disco went well, we had colored lights and a glitter ball and music. The food was nice. My brother and sister were both in that school too, so they were both there. We enjoyed the evening well.

Towards the end of the evening my class were told we had to wear our hats and dance for one song while the teachers decided who won the competition. My blood ran cold as I weren't sure I could dance with this hat on without it falling off, and knew everybody would laugh at me.

Still, I tied on my cuckoo clock hat and kept my chin up and my back straight and danced really slowly and woodenly to the song. Luckily, the hat did not fall off and the music ended after what felt like an eternity.

The teachers then came on the speakers and started reading out who had won third place, and the kid who won got a creme egg. Then they read out second place and the kid who won got a bar of chocolate. Then, to my surprise they read out my name as the winner. It was the first time I'd ever won anything.

With my hat wobbling on my head, I went up to get my prize. It was a cardboard lorry-shaped box that was filled with miniature "Yorkie" chocolates (which was my favorite chocolate as well). I muttered a surprised thanks, grabbed my lorry of chocolates and wobbled off again.

I remember my big sister looked really proud that I'd won, and my little brother looked impressed with the cardboard lorry of chocolates. It was a great ending to the disco, and I'll always remember it. I must have looked so funny trying to dance without my cuckoo clock hat falling off, and really did not expect to win. And me and my brother and sister enjoyed eating the chocolate squares as we walked home.

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