Now, I have to confess that I don’t really have to shove my kids out of doors very often during the summertime to play. Sometimes, but not all the time. That might have something to do with the fact that Oregon summers last for like 1.5 weeks and so you run out and soak up all the sun you can while it’s shining. (We have to double-up on our vitamin D intake!) My children also have quite a bit of unstructured play time. (Finding motivation to provide structured playtime is more my problem than anything else.) So in some ways, I am not the target audience for Go Out and Play!. I am, however, still a mom with multiple children who like to have ideas for what to play thrown at them from time to time and so I found this book interesting to glean from.
The mission for Go Out and Play! is to encourage children in today’s society to put down their video games and their structured activities and be encouraged to do exactly as the title suggests. The argument is that kids these days are spending far too much time working and not enough time playing (especially out of doors) which inhibits their creativity and social development. (I have to agree.) Because even adults these days seem to be lacking in essential doses of imagination, books such as this one can be helpful in providing ideas for you to pass along.
Many of the games suggested in this book may be familiar to you but perhaps you have forgotten them. But all of the games listed prompt both parents and children to head outdoors and have some good, old fashioned fun – no electronic devises attached. You’ll find suggestions for games you know, (such as your traditional version of “tag”), but then there are suggestions for several variations. You’ll find sidewalk games, ball games, team games and circle games as well as a variety of others. This book is versatile in that it can be used by parents wanting to suggest games for their children and their friends, or by teachers working with a class. You can make use of it for a play date, birthday party or day camp. Again, the goal is to encourage outdoor playtime.
Mostly – this book is a good reminder to make time for fun! Everyone needs a little of that every now and again.
Many thanks to Candlewick Press who sent a copy of this book my way in exchange for my honest opinion.
Carrie blogs about family life with her three small children, as viewed through the books she reads, over at Reading to Know.