Exciting Little Moments That Aren 't Anymore

Even at the age of twelve I still have fun up north Playing king of the raft out on the small weeded lake was a great time waster to get out all of our energy right before dinner with all of my cousins.

Whatever happened to everyday bike rides through the ‘old road’ with friends during summer? Playing in the mud and getting dirty, swimming in river banks and lakes, having water fights with water balloons and bottles, drinking cold homemade lemonade and sitting on the edge of the road eating 50c ice blocks as the days got heated? These are just a few of the many fun activities I did as a young child from the ages of 6/7 until the age of 13, when I was introduced to my cellphone. They are also things which have now become rare, boring and have been made a second option in the minds of the generation of today. Kids these days have dropped using their imaginations, going on adventures and

Imagine you were ten years old. What were you doing? Were you in a park? Were you playing with toys? Now look around at ten-year old’s today. There seems to be a noticeable shift. Most of them have some sort of electronic device of their own, whether it be a smartphone or a tablet. That shift becomes even more apparent if you were ten years old, 30 years ago versus if you were ten years old only eight years ago. In the essay “Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen,” Kay S. Hymowitz suggests that tweens are growing up too fast. She states that while there are complex causes for this, “two major and fairly predictable themes emerged: a sexualized and glitzy media-driven marketplace and absentee parents” (Page 203). This and, “peer group form a vicious circle that works to distort the development of youngsters…,” according to Hymowitz (Page 203).

In elementary, we used to play a lot of activities. Some of the games were tag, hide and seek,

"Are we going to have any fun today?," is a cry heard in middle school classrooms across the country. Fun can be a sure fire way to brighten the day. The blog, Why Play? by Ann Larson Erickson, reminds us of the many lessons to be learned through the power of play. Below we share 4 of our favorite games that teach the blog's lessons.

Today, most kids rely to much on technology for their entertainment. The need for adventures are gone and are now at the tips of their fingers or on a larger screen. Whenever you go somewhere in public or drive through a neighborhood with kids around, you almost always see them sitting down on their phones. On some summer days you do not even see any kids outside. Most likely they are inside playing video games or something

One of me and my sister’s main game that I remember most clearly is were we would get down on our hands and feet and pretend to be horses, running around barefoot all day. We invented these things called clip clops; with help from our dad, we made horse hooves out of old wooden fencing. We would explore

There is one point in time that people would go outside, play a game, talk to their neighbors, and get up and go to the store, but that was the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. Nowadays people are so drawn into devices they forgot about all the old traditions. Like playing outside with your friends or a simple game of soccer or any kind sport for that matter. People forgot about exercising, and the kids stopped playing together outside. Most people didn't socialize with each other, unless they were playing a video game or at tech school. It seemed that everyone was in some kind of a trance. But that is how most people grew up in 2100’s. That is how I grew up.

I don't know if we can keep up? For me, it is important to disconnect from technology every chance, I can. I still enjoy turning the pages of a book (not eBook) and walking on the beach. In fact, when our son visited us last May. Some mornings, I would find him sitting on our porch reading a book. And, I was so pleased!

Today, kids rely on technology for their entertainment. At the tips of everyones fingers, technology diminished the need for creativity. Whenever you go somewhere in public or drive through a neighborhood with kids around, almost always someone has their phone out. Some summer days the youth is not outside. During my adolescent years, my friends and I were always outside discovering new adventures. By nine in the morning we were awake and ready for our newest adventures. We would disappear until dinner, then we would be back out until the first street light turned on. If we were fortunate we would be out until midnight causing mischief to everyone by ding-dong ditching. Nowadays, kids are always on their phones until they go back inside. Even though my friends and I had cell phones and video

One notable board game that many kids enjoy is a board game called Exploding Kittens. In the game, you try to make someone draw the exploding kitten card and kill them. The only way you can counter an exploding kitten is to get a revive. Another notable game that is enjoyed by many kids is sorry. Sorry is a game where you try to get your pieces to home by drawing cards telling you how many spaces you move. One other game that could entertain you is Mancala. Mancala is a game where you try to get more beads on your side than your opponent's side. The library has many fun board games that will keep you

Sometimes, adults should learn from kids. Fun, childhood games like tag and hide and seek can still be fun activities. Even creating obstacle courses out of household items like a clothes bin, or turning on the sprinkler for added fun. To make thinks simpler, jogging or racing could be a fun competition to get started. As time progresses, things can get more funky. Some of the best dates are spent laughing and that experience is

I lay in bed with my computer in one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other. My phone is turned off next to me. I look out the window. The sun sits high in the sky. It was warm. The perfect day to go out with friends. Nah! I’d rather stay inside and watch YouTube videos instead of getting exercise and interacting with people. That is a huge problem in today’s society. Way back when technology was nonexistent people were in shape and hung out with each other. Now everyone stays inside and sees the world through a screen.

It goes without saying my favorite game as a child was Telephone. Throughout my youth my family and I indulged in many games, to say the least telephone was our favorite. The possibility of having a fun time and laughing was never a problem. The way the game worked anyone from the age of 5 to 100 could play along, which made it super easy to even play at family get togethers. Not only was telephone easy to learn and fun to play, it was a game that did not require money. My parents struggled financially, so telephone was a game we could play without them worrying about how they would pay for it. I can even admit I will play the game till this day.

We played gym games, such as dodge ball and “colors colors”. Colors colors, a favorite with the kids, is a game where one person is it and has to call colors people are wearing. Those people have to run across the gym without getting tagged by the person calling.