Be careful with your advice to a four year old.

I took my 4 year old great niece to McDonald's for lunch. She was really looking forward to the play area and she did such a great job of eating two whole chicken nuggets before being released to go enjoy the equipment.

She happily scampered up the tubing and around to come down the slide. Then she ran over to do it again - obviously having a great time. (Who wouldn't?)

Only this time on her way down the slide - a boy a few years older than her had stopped himself at the bottom of the slide, completely plugging up the opening. So she slid right into him - much to her surprise and obvious discomfort. She looked at him in confusion, I think to see if he was mad at her for running into him.

So, the kids just sat there like it was no big deal - and the look on her face got more worried. She couldn't go back up and he was blocking her from getting out. She squirmed a bit, trying to figure out how to get out.

I am wondering: "Should I intervene?"

I leaned towards waiting a moment more to see if she would assert herself - something I felt pretty sure that she would do and I wanted to let her do it for herself if she could.

Now the boy finally seems to notice that he has someone behind him. He turns and looks at her. He stand up (sort of) in the slide and just stares at her. She stares back at him, then looks past him and then back at him again. He says nothing.

She finally says: "I want out' in a quiet little voice.

Does the boy back out and let her by? Of course not. He climbs over her like she's another part of the equipment and heads back up the slide.

So she jumps out and comes straight to me. She doesn't seem too upset by it, but she doesn't want to go back in to play more. I'm proud of her for speaking up, if a bit timidly. But I give her a bit of advice:

"Next time some big boy is in your way and doesn't move,
raise your voice and say 'WOULD YOU PLEASE GET OUT OF MY WAY?'
as loud as you can, ok?"

She looked at me and slowly nodded.

So we put her shoes back on, gather our stuff and head out of the restaurant.

At the door, there's a big guy who is holding the door for his kids and we're behind him.

Two seconds pass and (you guessed it) my niece yells at the top of her lungs. "WILL YOU PLEASE GET OUT OF MY WAY?"