Even though I may grumble about the upkeep of my 2 acres, make no mistake. Seeing children run around the property truly makes me feel so glad. Large tracts of land are part of the fabric sewn into a child's quilt of memories.
In the outdoors, creative juices flow. Imaginary houses are built. Epic battles are won. My driveway becomes the waterway for Viking explorers to claim our land.
Typically the kids would be outside in the snow this time of year. During our past snow-laden winters, the kids have begged me to stay outside all day. But day after day without snow this year has my kids bored with the outdoors. No matter. Whenever it is a warm day like today (meaning above 40 F), I require my kids to play outside for at least 1/2 hour.
Yup, I said require. Usually, we begin the time with their protests about the cold or wanting to return to some game inside. Most days, however, they end up complaining that I didn't let them play outside long enough. "We just started playing! Why are you calling us in now?"
Today started out the same way. After our usual routine of morning school lessons, we ate lunch, and I forced them outside during the remainder of our lunch break. But unlike the other days, today we had friends over.
Two rickety old playgrounds whose legs pop out of the ground whenever the kids swing too high offer the kids nothing out of the ordinary. Add a few friends, though, and viola! These playgrounds become exciting again!
By the time my friend called her kids to leave, all of the kids moved from their climbing games on the playgrounds and were playing other games behind the fence in the "back 40." My friend and I might have barred them from the house to force them to play outside, but, in the end, that's exactly where they wanted to stay.
We had a great time. And yes it counts as a PE credit! :)
ReplyDeletePE credit and vitamin D credit, too!
ReplyDelete