I absolutely loved this article at Examiner.com by Sharon Watkins Jones. So, rather than sharing the link only, I've reprinted the whole piece for you below!
What
memories are sparked when you think of your childhood summer vacations?
Do you reflect fondly on summers you spent surfing the internet, text
messaging friends or laughing hysterically at YouTube clips? Did you
make the most of hot summer days by virtual hiking and fishing on your
Wii or Playstation? Do you remember how much you enjoyed frolicking
online with your Sims family and your digital pet Webkinz? Heck,
no…you knew how to go outside and P-L-A-Y.
If you were like me, the best summer vacations EVER required a swimsuit, some neighborhood buddies and a yard sprinkler.
We said “goodbye” to our mamas around 10:30am and “hello” right before the street lights came on.
We
played tag, hide-and-seek, dodge ball, Mother-May-I and Red Rover and
smelled like fresh puppies within the first hour of play.
Lunch
was served by the mama whose house we found ourselves nearest around
noon. We ate our smorgasbord of Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
potato chips, red kool-aid, popsicles and big fat pickles on the porch
or the swing set without washing hands or using antibacterial gel.
No
child’s allergies were a consideration. If Ray Ray developed a rash or
“swoll up,” (yes, I know, bad grammar) we just made fun of his big head
and walked him home. We waved to the ambulance as it drove by with Ray
Ray and his mama and hoped he could come outside again tomorrow.
We
knew better than to run in and out of any house asking for snacks, so
we ate mulberries, pomegranates, loquats and figs from neighborhood
trees (without washing them!), we sipped honeysuckle nectar and drank
water from a hose. I don’t recall a single case of dysentery among us.
Girls
dared to ask to come inside for one or two bathroom breaks during the
day. Boys, well…you know how they took care of business.
We were allowed to carry change in our pockets and buy ice cream from a truck without fear of abduction.
Our mamas didn’t check a daily ozone report to decide if it was safe enough for us get some fresh air.
We sported halters, muscle shirts, cut-off jean shorts and Zips (or Keds).
We
ran out of the house before anyone could remember to spray us with bug
repellent. We ran through high grass and crouched in tall weeds and
were covered in bites from mosquitoes and chiggers but none of us died
of bird flu or malaria.
We
wore no sunscreen, sunglasses or floppy hats and displayed our
burnt-toast brown skin as badges of honor. You had a jacked-up summer
if you didn’t return to school all “mocha-choca-latta-ya-ya” in the
fall.
We had good ol’ fashioned, natural fun, all day long, all summer long.
My
kids hear legendary stories from their father and me of “the San
Antonio spear grass fight of the century,” the “Waco pogo stick
incident of 1976” or the shared experience of “running from the big
dog,” and are convinced that we had tortured childhoods. They look at
the scar on their dad’s eyebrow from tackle football in the front yard
and the speckled blemish on my forearm from falling off the handle bars
of a friend’s bike (I think I still have gravel in that wound) and
wonder how we are living to tell the tales.
Although
my children are completely mortified by the dearth of electronic gaming
devices in our home, I proudly boast to all who inquire that we have
never owned a Playstation, GameCube or Wii. My husband feigns
disappointment in our lack of digital entertainment, but gleefully pats
his wallet and declares, “I’d buy you kids a Wii, but your mama won’t
let me.”
I
gladly take the heat. I am not swayed by their pouty lips, watering
eyes or refrains of “that’s not fair!” When my children have friends
visiting and the issue of buying video games comes up, I say, “Who
needs Wii, when we have we? Now, go outside and play and get out of my face.”
Science
is on my side of the argument. We all know the benefits of physical
exercise, but the social, developmental and educational benefits of
outside play also abound.
According to Rae Pica, author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child,
"Outside light triggers the synthesis of vitamin D and stimulates the
pineal gland, the part of the brain that helps regulate the biological
clock and is vital to the immune system." In addition, researchers of
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that contact with
nature improved attention spans and self-control in kids, including
those diagnosed with ADHD.
Grimy,
outdoors play also helps your children stay healthier in the long run.
Dr. Mary Ruebush, an immunology specialist, and author of Why Dirt Is Good
explains that human immune systems are like computers that need
programming. Through the introduction of new microorganisms to the
body, a child’s developing immune system teaches itself to adapt to by
manufacturing a memory so his body can respond appropriately to future
intruders.
Beyond
the technical reasons for outside play, why would anyone deny their
children life’s simplest pleasures? Show them how to enjoy the best
time they will ever have.
A
simple walk around the block with your kids is a great opportunity to
talk to them and find out what they’re thinking about these days. When
my husband shoots baskets with our son, or I strike up a game of jacks
in the driveway with my daughter, children from the neighborhood
magically appear and join in the fun. One evening a couple of years
ago, a game of Red Light/Green Light practically started a block party
of children and adults in the street in front of our house.
One
of the best times we’ve had at our home involved handily spanking my
brother and his wife in a brutal game of badminton. It was awesome to
crush them mercilessly in front of our children and theirs (I've
obviously been a Jones too long). Of course, I keep a ready supply of
ibuprofen, ice and alcoholic beverages for just such an occasion to
soothe my husband’s back, my knees and my brother's ego.
No
excuses allowed. Don’t just sit there and reminisce about those good
old days. Create some good new days. Grab your kids, go outside and
play!
Yes, yes, yes to play! Please read my related blog at http://preventingobesity.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/put-homework-aside-and-play/ for another perspective on this subject.
Stay well and always keep moving!
Doreen
Posted by: Doreen Bolhuis | June 17, 2009 at 11:32 AM