A generation or two ago, kids played outdoors in the summer from sunrise to sundown, often with little more than their imaginations instead of the elaborate and expensive games that are available today. Though kids back then complained of boredom on occasion, too, they usually managed to find fun things to do, such as games of tag, racing each other to be the winner, sword fights with hedge twigs, and so on.
With today's shrinking urban lawns and kids' demands for more sophisticated playthings, parents might be able to suggest a compromise. Instead of handing over a computer game or a CD player for your kids' use, point them toward things like the following to get them outdoors for exercise and fresh air:
1. Make a tree swing. Parents can help to hang from a sturdy tree branch a rope swing with an inner tube or board seat. Then watch as they jump on and pump their legs for dear life to gain height and leaning back to savor wind against their slight forms. Even the American poet Emily Dickinson wrote about the joys of a backyard swing, so encourage your kids to have some fun in midair on a secure device of your making. Or buy a commercial swing set with a slide, see-saw, and playhouse. Any combination of elements like these will provide your children with outdoor physical activity.
2. How about a game of croquette? This old-time favorite involves using a mallet to poke a hard wooden ball through wire frames that have been pushed into the ground. Guiding your ball successfully through a maze of ground frames, similar to miniature golf, helps to develop hand-to-eye coordination and skillful manipulation of the mallet. Kids will enjoy competing with each other or with their parents in a lively game played under the shade of your backyard trees.
3. Hang up a volleyball or badminton net. While the nets for each sport may technically differ, one could be used for both games. The real challenge will be finding enough players to form two volleyball teams, although a few cold beverages or fresh-baked cookies ought to bring them running. Badminton, on the other hand, involves just two players, so siblings or parents can participate to make this one fun and easy. Remember to put away the net and ball or racquets when the kids are done so they will stay in good condition for next time.
4. Little ones enjoy a sandbox. You can buy playground sand and a box to keep it in at any recreational or toy center. There are a few caveats, however. One potential problem is that cats love to dig in the sand for their hygiene needs, leaving unpleasant surprises for children who shovel through the sandbox. Another concern is parasites that burrow in the sand and can infest children with conditions like pinworm. The best way to prevent either problem is to cover the sandbox after each use. Be sure the tarp or canvas is secure, but remove it when the children play and teach them not to crawl underneath to prevent the danger of suffocation, especially on a hot day.
5. Squirt and soak. Hand over a water hose and turn on the faucet for a fun time. Kids can fill water balloons and squirt guns, hook up to a slip-and-slide toy, or chase each other with blasts from the nozzle to keep everyone in high spirits and cool water on a hot afternoon. A swimming pool is the natural extension of this type of recreation, but they can be expensive and potentially dangerous if parents fail to monitor their children's use of the pool.
Stock up on toys like these for the next summer day when your children complain of boredom despite a bevy of technological devices. They might pleasantly surprise you and themselves with a dose of old-fashioned creativity.
