Summer Fun
As the end of the school year approaches, it has brought to mind how excited we were as children to see summer vacation within our reach. It was difficult to keep our minds on the school work at hand as we dreamt of all the fun times that lay ahead.
Once school was over we were busy from sunrise to sunset. After breakfast our mothers would see us for lunch and dinner, and would have to remind us to be in before dark. We would have to check in throughout the day to let her know where we were and what we were doing, but we certainly didn't hang around the house unless it was a rainy day. We played all the "old" games like Kick-the-Can, Red Rover, Hide-and-Seek, Red Light-Green Light, and Tag. We would ride our bikes and if we were lucky, on a real hot day someone might take us swimming or to go and get ice cream. On the occasional rainy day we would play board games or cards, and rarely watched TV.
On the weekend our parents would sometimes pile us in the car and go to the drive-in movies. Not only did they play a double feature, but there was a snack bar and usually a swing set to play on. The movies never started until dark, so we usually went in our pajamas and would be sleeping before the second movie barely started.
I know times have changed, and in some ways things are better, but in many ways they are not. So many children think of summer vacation as a time to watch TV and movies, or to play video games. Some have their faces glued to social media pages looking to increase the number of "friends" they have, or trying to prove their popularity by how many likes their selfie can get. Seems to me a very lonely existence, void of face to face communication or human contact. What about fresh air and exercise, and learning valuable social skills?
Unfortunately it is a different world today, and we no longer feel that we can allow our children to roam the neighborhood playing. We must keep a closer eye on where they are and who they are with. However, we can still provide safe environments for them to play, and perhaps teach them the games we used to play. No Internet or electricity needed; all they require is some energy and imagination. In the process they will share a lot of laughter and discover how much fun these old games can be. Who knows? Perhaps they will decide to put down the electronics more often.
As parents, teachers and community members we need to encourage our kids to go outside to get fresh air and exercise. Maybe the best way is to teach them by example. Who wants to go out and play?
Once school was over we were busy from sunrise to sunset. After breakfast our mothers would see us for lunch and dinner, and would have to remind us to be in before dark. We would have to check in throughout the day to let her know where we were and what we were doing, but we certainly didn't hang around the house unless it was a rainy day. We played all the "old" games like Kick-the-Can, Red Rover, Hide-and-Seek, Red Light-Green Light, and Tag. We would ride our bikes and if we were lucky, on a real hot day someone might take us swimming or to go and get ice cream. On the occasional rainy day we would play board games or cards, and rarely watched TV.
On the weekend our parents would sometimes pile us in the car and go to the drive-in movies. Not only did they play a double feature, but there was a snack bar and usually a swing set to play on. The movies never started until dark, so we usually went in our pajamas and would be sleeping before the second movie barely started.
I know times have changed, and in some ways things are better, but in many ways they are not. So many children think of summer vacation as a time to watch TV and movies, or to play video games. Some have their faces glued to social media pages looking to increase the number of "friends" they have, or trying to prove their popularity by how many likes their selfie can get. Seems to me a very lonely existence, void of face to face communication or human contact. What about fresh air and exercise, and learning valuable social skills?
Unfortunately it is a different world today, and we no longer feel that we can allow our children to roam the neighborhood playing. We must keep a closer eye on where they are and who they are with. However, we can still provide safe environments for them to play, and perhaps teach them the games we used to play. No Internet or electricity needed; all they require is some energy and imagination. In the process they will share a lot of laughter and discover how much fun these old games can be. Who knows? Perhaps they will decide to put down the electronics more often.
As parents, teachers and community members we need to encourage our kids to go outside to get fresh air and exercise. Maybe the best way is to teach them by example. Who wants to go out and play?
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