Great Uncle Fred, why do children like bouncing on beds? (Tom, aged three, Summer 2009)

Hmm, tricky. My first thought is, "Well, I will go and ask a child why he likes jumping on beds" but you are a child, Tom, and you are asking the question. I cannot answer the question by asking you a question. And children, well, sometimes you ask them a question and they say, "Because!" or "Not telling!" or even, sometimes, "Poo!" Whenever I ask a seven-year-old whom I know how school was, she always always always answers, "Fine", and so do all her friends - "Fine". Children are brilliant but they are not always brilliant at answering questions. But I suppose it is because they are brilliant that they love to bounce on beds. The best thing about a bed is its bounciness. Children know this and, presented with a bed, they soon decide to have the best fun possible on it. I think, Tom, that that is the answer - children like bouncing on beds because beds are bouncy and so are children. OK?

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