First published July 20, 2005. I thought it still timely for this summer:
It’s a beautiful summer day. My children spent the morning running through the sprinkler, blowing bubbles and playing with a toad in our sandbox. Yesterday after dinner they played with the garden hose and a couple of Matchbox cars. It’s great to see them play in the yard getting dirty, being little kids.
It seems to me my children are in the minority because I never see other kids playing outside. I live on a quiet country road with the occasional car going up the street. It’s the perfect road for bikes, rollerblades, skateboards or old-fashioned running, but I never see any kids outside doing any of these things. Parents invest in costly climbing sets complete with covered fort, slide and swings. I have yet to see one child using them.
Is playing a lost art to this generation?
I wonder what the children are doing for their summer holiday from school? Sitting inside at the computer, TV or video game? Whatever happened to kickball, freeze tag, hide and seek, and baseball? I’d love to stop at a lemonade stand, but I’ve yet to find one this summer.
Maybe the children are following the lead of their parents who prefer to sit in front of the television instead of talking – and laughing – with their children. Or are these children always on the go being driven here and there with no downtime to create or explore?
There is nothing wrong with technology. Trust me – I like to relax in front of the tube or surf the ‘net, too. But what are we teaching our young ones? That it’s okay to constantly need electronic stimulation?
Perhaps today’s kids need to be taught how to play. Maybe their parents need to turn off the gadgets and go outside with their kids. Children also need freedom to be outside in the sun where they will learn how to entertain themselves. They don’t need to have every waking hour filled with activities.
Summer is almost over. There is still lots of time for kids to get outside, get dirty and make great summertime memories. I hope your children do.
I can’t wait for the heat to die down a little… then you may see me outside a little more! (Am I a wimp?)
No, just realistic. Have you a garden hose? A creek? Water guns?
Actually, we have been outside this summer quite a bit considering. The girls have had a great time with all those things: sprinklers, hoses, a little blow-up pool, and the creek at their Grandmother’s house.
It is hot though!
You would have been happy with us yesterday. All the doors were open, three neighborhood kids joined my five, and they were running around like crazy.