Friday, March 21, 2008

Building Forts

As a child I was outside a lot. I remember riding my bike down our country road, hitting bumps and trying to make my bike go airborne. I remember trekking through the woods with my sister and neighborhood friend, Missy. We made "a fort" in the woods over behind the clothesline in our backyard. I remember asking mom for "a roof" for my fort on the front porch. She gave me an old bed spread to use and I played out there for a long while. I went for walks. (not to mention the half mile hike to and from the bus stop each day:) In the summer we would swim in the two fresh water ponds that Missy's grandparents owned. We swam with snapping turtles, fish, clams, and water snakes. I had enough silt in the bottom of my bathing suit after swimming it would clog the tub drain!! But boy did we have fun! I think it was the winter of '79, I would have been in 5th grade. It snowed and snowed and snowed. Then it drifted. We were out of school and wow, could we make some forts. I remember digging and digging making tunnels in the drifts. Snow fort!

Do kids still play like this? I had such a good time being outside and using my imagination. Now it seems like kids of the present generation like to play in a "virtual" world... instead of the one they've got. They'd spend hours in front of the TV playing games if we let them. Now, it is true, times have changed. I really don't want my kids to go too far down the road because I'm scared of the nuts that are out there that might hurt my children. There isn't the same kind of freedom to roam around as there used to be. It's a shame really, because I think they are missing out, and yet they don't even realize it. Sure they are more technologically advanced then any other generation before them. They know their way around a computer keyboard, can text with lightening speed, and know all the latest gaming news. But are children as creative as they used to be? I don't know....I'm just wondering. Now, their virtual worlds are created for them, instead of having to "make" their play world on their own. I just think they are missing out on something valuable.

1 comment:

  1. Im only 21 and I completely agree. I was always playing outside when I was a kid.I remember one of me and my friend Megans favorite "games" was when they were building new houses in the neighbor hood I would ride on the handle bars of her bike and we would crash into the stacks of bricks laying in the sidewalk and fall over on the bike. It was a blast we did constantly...now I dont see what was so fun about it is was actually rather painful...

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