Recess- you played what?!

I picked the kids up from school yesterday and ran them over to piano lessons. I was a slacker of a mom because I was on the phone talking to my sister- in- law instead of asking my kids how their day went. I got off the phone and went in to listen to them play for a few minutes.

Lexi was done and was telling about her day. We have been trying to encourage both girls to not just play with the same person everyday- lot's of friends are more fun, and always try to find someone who looks like they need a friend. Lexi's really good friend was absent and she noticed a girl in her class just walking around the playground. She asked her if she wanted to play on the monkey bars and she did. This little girl has a hearing implant, she is deaf with out it, but hears pretty well with it. Lexi was asking her who she usually plays with at recess and the girl told her no one, she usually just walks around by herself. About this time it started sprinkling, and since Hailey has her implant it can't get wet. Lexi asked her if she wanted to make up and practice cheers under the covered part of the playground- again Hailey said yes.
Lexi is such a sweet girl- she loves to make others happy. She told me she felt really good to know she helped Hailey know she has friends, and hopefully Lexi will remember to keep including her at recess.
Ashlee finished her lesson and we all got in the car. I asked her about her day, and all the things she did. I asked her what she did at recess and who she played with. She told me the kids she played with, and then she told me what they played. Dun- dun- dun- dun- dunnnnnn

Her exact words were, "We played African Americans running from the whites."

I just sat there- I wanted to laugh, or scold her, or just ask her to explain- but honestly I just couldn't think of what to say to her! Since I was quiet for a minute Lexi was trying to explain to me, you know like slaves running from the white people mom. Uh, yeah, I got that. I asked Ash who's idea the game was- praying it was not my daughters. Thankfully it wasn't. She told me it was her other friend. I still don't know what to say or if I even need to say anything to her. They weren't playing it like it was a bad thing- they were just playing chase.
I called Darrell later, I could not stop laughing- where would kids come up with that idea. His reactions was the same as mine. At first you think- it's not a good thing, but really it was just kids using what they learned during Black history month in a game. He was laughing as well, and then said it's kind of like when he was little and they played Cowboys and Indians. If this was your child, would you say something discouraging them playing that game, or would you somehow encourage them to come up with another name, or theme? We just keep laughing! It also leads to another question- what happened in the game if the "whites" caught the "African Americans"?
Life is never boring with kids!