TO celebrate the Year of Young People, every week The National is giving a platform to young Scots. This week, eight-year-old Oliver.
MY name is Oliver. I am eight years old. I have a little sister who is four. We live in Edinburgh, which I love because there’s always something going on! I like going to the festivals and all the places we can go for walks and feel close to nature. I like walking with my family and spending time together. We get to be silly and have fun and relax, which I really love.
Monday to Friday I go to school. On a Tuesday my gran and grandpa take me to school and pick me up. I like the days grandpa picks me up and we walk home together. It is nice to have time to talk to him about my day at school, and things that I have been doing.
On the other days I go to after-school club and get to do fun activities with my friends. Activities we have done include candle making, drawing and going to the library.
I like to read and draw. I like fiction books best, and I like to draw mythical creatures that I dream up in my head! I have called my favourite one Zekey. He has the head and tail of a monkey and the body and legs of a zebra!
My favourite subject at school is PE because we are getting active. I think it is important to be active so I stay healthy. Outside of school I take part in a ninja class. It is kick-boxing for kids. I think the class is fun and I learn about self-discipline, teamwork, control, co-ordination and balance.
I am also a Cub Scout. So far I have my reading badge and my fire fighter badge. I like Cubs because I like the badges that I can achieve. There are so many things I could learn and improve by completing different badges. The next badge I think I am going to work towards is my naturalist one. I will need to watch changes in nature over three months, learn about identification of trees and animals as well as picking fruit and making jam.
I think that nature is very important. We need to keep the environment healthy in the same way I keep myself healthy. We need to look after nature and improve its position the same way I am doing with my kick-boxing, Cub badges and school work.
The environment needs trees and plants to keep everything alive. It also gives animals somewhere to live. We need to look after the animals as well. There are too many that have become extinct and are heading towards extinction.
When I get bigger I think I might like to study science and engineering, although I love art too. I think maybe I might want to be an architect designing eco-friendly buildings.
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