The Things We Did While Playing Outside

As a child, I rarely sat in front of the television, and computers in the home were far from the norm.  Instead, the great outdoors were my means to childhood enjoyment.  Those moments were well anticipated and innocently relished.  Regardless of rain or shine, or cold or hot temperatures, my motivation was simply running, climbing, riding my bicycle, jumping, digging, planting, and even raking leaves!  Each moment spent outside meant the world to not only me, but my friends!  There was not a worry in the air.  Scheduling playdates was unheard of.  Our method of checking if a friend could play was to truly go to their house and knock on the door.  The odds of them being home and allowed to join me were in my favor!  We would frequently go to several friends’ homes throughout the neighborhood to gather the most people to just play outside.  While playing on the ground as we mixed dirt and water with a spoon, not once did we think our end result would be pure fun that left us happy and quite a muddy mess!  Our next move was to run to the water hose to play in the water, while we accomplished the absolutely exciting mission of rinsing the muck from ourselves!  Now, I ask myself, “Why is it that parents, including myself, do not allow our children these joys of childhood?”