News Herald – Juliann Talkington
It’s that time of year. Summer vacation is almost here!
We all want endearing memories for our kids. So we try to go back in time. It should be easy. We can get rid of the schedule and the activities. The lack of structure will make summer “FUN”.
Then reality hits. After a couple of days you hear the dreaded, “I’m bored”. “How is this possible? Your child has the freedom to do what ever he/she wants. Apparently, there is more to fun than a lack of structure..
According to the Encarta dictionary, fun is something that provides enjoyment or amusement. The opposite of fun is boring. According to the same dictionary, boring is something uninteresting. And in Answerbag, an Internet blog, participants suggest fun is dependent on experience, accomplishment, struggle, interaction, balance, and learning.
So our intuition may be right, but we probably need to alter our thinking a bit. Kids do need a change of pace and the opportunity to explore the world in new and different ways. Summer is an ideal time for such exploration, since children do not have to attend school.
The difficulty is what was okay in the 50s and 60s isn’t wise today. For example, letting a child run unsupervised in the neighborhood probably isn’t a good idea. So we have to do some work to provide the same opportunities that were once waiting outside the front door.
The neighborhood play sessions were wonderful opportunities for children to learn how interact with their peers and to solve problems. This type of informal group setting is difficult to duplicate today. However, we can create some of the same learning opportunities with unstructured play dates or visits to busy parks or beaches.
Some of us also remember looking for tadpoles, rescuing birds, tending a garden, building forts, fishing, catching bugs and the like. Simple science experiments, cooking, sewing and carpentry are great ways to encourage similar types of investigation.
Exploration trips and volunteer activities are also wonderful options. Plan something out of the ordinary. Rent kayaks and explore the bay, help at the Humane Society, take a walk on the beach, learn to ride a bike, help a family in need, go on a picnic….
This means we have to move out of our normal routine, get out of the house and create opportunities for our kids to build memories and have FUN!