Red Rover, Red Rover

Do you remember the games you played as a child? Mother may I, freeze tag, red rover? How about hide-and-seek and the other countless games we played to pass the time? 

Over the weekend I spent time with Timmy’s younger cousins and I realized that kids don’t know how to play anymore. If they don’t have a t.v. in front of them or a computer they just don’t know what to do with their time.

So, since it was a beautiful afternoon and since I don’t have cable or video games for the kids to play, Faith, Timmy and I took them outside and told them that we would play freeze tag with them. 

You should have seen the confusion in those kids eyes. 

“Freeze tag? What’s that, Megan?”

They didn’t know what freeze tag was! 

After showing them for the fiftieth time and a lot of yelling for them to run, did they get the hang of it and they had a blast. 

We taught them how to play red rover and I have never seen kids run so fast when Timmy was the one that was “dared to come over”.

It was amazing to see these kids outside playing games that we use to play to pass the summer evenings. 

When it finally got too dark for them to play, we all gathered out in the front yard and showed them how to catch lightening bugs and told them about all the games we use to play.

My sister Whitney and I were always able to find something to do when we were kids. We’d take dads saw horses and old boards and make see-saws out of them or balancing beams. We would turn our bicycles upside down and act like we were driving cars. 

Kids today don’t seem to have any imagination what so ever, especially when it comes to finding games to play. Yes, some of you parents might say that at least you know where your child is when he is inside of his room playing video games, but you aren’t challenging his imagination. 

So, I challenge you all to something. This weekend make time to take your kids outside and teach them some of the games that you enjoyed as a child. Show them that there is more to life than sitting in front of a screen all day. 

Your kids will enjoy it and so will you! 

6-18-09 - Published in the Citizen Voice & Times