D
Go Play Outside!
When
I was a kid the first thing I wanted to do when I got home from school was to go
outside and play. I couldn’t get my
homework and chores done fast enough. It seemed the longer I stayed inside the
more fun I was missing. Life was so simple then and it didn’t take much to
entertain us. We could grab a piece of
chalk and start a game of hopscotch on the sidewalk or create a piece of snowman
art in the winter. Most of all, playing
outside with the other kids made us happy. Today kids seem to be glued to their
computers, video games and television sets and they’re missing out on wonderful
experiences.
I
have so many fond memories that revolve around playing outside with other kids.
“Cinderella dressed in yella went upstairs to kiss a fella,” was a rhyme that used
to resonate in my neighborhood. Little girls would gather and sing rhymes while
jumping rope. The sound of big wheels
racing along the sidewalk could be heard from my family’s kitchen window on a
warm summer day. There was a portion of
our driveway that had been uprooted by an old elm tree. It created the perfect
natural ramp for the neighborhood kids to take on with their bicycles and big
wheels.
These
sounds are long gone with only the faint sounds coming from televisions and
computers in the houses. Some of this has to do with overprotective parents.
They feel the need to watch over their kids and setting them lose to run out
and play makes them uncomfortable.
As
someone who doesn’t have children I’ve had this conversation with my friends
that are parents. One friend argued that her sons do play outside. She then proceeded to recite their “play”
schedule to me. They have soccer on Mondays and Wednesdays, swimming on
Tuesdays and golf lessons on Fridays.
What she considered playing I thought of as a structured schedule.
Playing didn’t involve rules other than getting home before dark or you might
be grounded. Another friend said she organized play dates for her daughter. I
can understand the need to want to protect your children but is it fair not to
allow a certain amount of freedom. Now they can’t even choose their own
friends?
Looking
back on my childhood I think the reason I cherish those days of playing outside
wasn’t just about games. It was the precious moments in our childhood without
parental supervision. It was just a
group of kids out on our own, even if it was just a block from home. We had the
freedom to make our own decisions and one of the most important was choosing our
own friends. It was these moments we
made mistakes and learned how to deal with it and move on. Yes there were times we fell off our bike and
skinned our knees but we learned to survive without mom right there. It was
these moments when we were able to define our role in social groups. We could
become the leader, the jock, the one with common sense or the daredevil. It was these moments when I learned to thrive
in social situations and develop into the person I am today.
I don’t
think kids today will have the same fond memories staring at a computer screen
or smartphone. I have watched so many of
them blindly walking down the street glued to the smartphone screen in their
hand. They barely talk to anyone around
them. There is a world of experiences going on all around them and they’re
missing it. The phone may be smart but
it isn’t going to teach them how to live.
Beyond
social and psychological issues many kids today are missing out on the health
benefits of playing outside. I rode my bike everywhere and it never felt like
exercise. Running wasn’t hard work. When you were playing a game of soccer or
softball in an old dirt lot, running was fun. No one had to remind us to
exercise because we did it every day.
The
First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama realized this was a problem. On
the television show The View, she stated that kids today spend an average of
7.5 hours a day in front of screens. She even started a program called Let’s
Move to encourage kids to exercise and stay active. This wasn’t an issue back
in the good old days of playing outside.
So I say
let your kids go outside and play. Let
them enjoy the warmth of the sun on their faces. They can lie on the grass and
find shapes in the clouds. Let them find the prime hiding spot in a good game
of hide and seek. Let them experience
the best water park ever as they run through the lawn sprinklers. But most of all let them have the experience
of being a kid and to enjoy those amazing moments.
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