Do your children 'play out'?

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Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by Yamin151 »

doodles wrote:Well I don't know about playing out but our two may be moving out! We are officially the meanest parents on the planet as we have just boxed up the Xbox and it is in the attic until at least half term.

It's been an interesting day shall we say!!!!!!!
Good for you! Please send some of your resolve this way! Not for xbox etc, but for tween attitude!!
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by mystery »

Yamin151 wrote:Gosh, I am humbled by all you guys do. And neveragain, your poor ds, how horrible, and how brave.

The rest of you are amazing, although I'm hoping there maybe one or two lurker a who have same trouble as me........? It all sounds really swallows and amazons out there,an d I said to my two today that we are going to be doing more outside play! Not sure why it doesn't happen. They sometimes have fantastic games inside, plenty of physical ones too, but they ARE quite nervous of being out on their own, in part because they are small maybe, I don't know.
Any tips?? We go out as a family, this is more about encouraging them to explore, within limits, on their own. Walking to a friends house not available yet as horrible horrible main road to cross (as in several minutes wait and no crossing), and bit too far even if I get them over that.)
Mine don't Yamin. We have a great garden which they barely use unless you drag them out kicking and screaming and lock them out. I don't know why.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by Amber »

We have only ever had one family come here whose children pronounced it 'boring' and who had 'nothing to do' when they visited. They were so unfit they couldn't walk up the hills and were missing their computer games within an hour or two. Otherwise every single child who has come here has loved being outdoors, even the one who broke his arm jumping out of a tree in our garden. Yes, he comes back for more.

I'm not sure about tips - but we've always gone on long country walks as a family so maybe that helps to instil a love of the outdoors. I did also read, ages ago, some tips from one of these 'alternative' parenting gurus who seem to be in vogue now but weren't then, who said forget about all the classes (music, sport etc) - they really aren't necessary unless you want your child to be able to compete on an international stage - they will find their own interests (as ours have). But do do do take them hiking because it is the one thing which children are unlikely ever to discover for themselves if you don't, and it is so bonding, free (in every sense) and uncomplicated by any of the demands of modern life. And once they've sampled it (starting small) they will be hooked for life. For what can be better than looking at the views from the top of the hill you've just climbed? Nature can't be beaten.

Maybe some of it is down to whether parents enjoy being outdoors; but have you tried making fires and cooking on them (show me a child who doesn't enjoy that), or walking somewhere with a spring you can drink from, or blaeberries you can pick and eat? Camping in the garden? Night hikes with a torch? Buying some seeds and getting them to grow stuff?

Scouting is a great way of encouraging kids to be outdoors and rely on their own resources too. And girls can join scouts instead of guides if they are more outdoorsy. Two of mine are young leaders now and the movement has been a very positive force for all of them.

I really believe it's worth doing. Sometimes when I am low I take to the hills and find comfort there which you just can't find indoors. Nature is so beautiful and I think we do kids a massive disservice by not helping them to see what it has to offer the human soul.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by southbucks3 »

Took 8 of ds2' s friends on a night hike across wood and field to granddad"s house for his birthday one year in February, then had sausages and marshmallows on a bonfire with sparklers and cheap fireworks, and then got transported back in the old landy cross country. By 8pm pick up time jumping out the Landry, they could barely contain their excitement any more, not sure the parents have ever forgiven us!
Funniest moment was when one got "his Willy" caught up in the barbed wire that separated the crop fields from granddads meadow! He was fine.
The whole party cost about £30!
talea51
Posts: 522
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:10 pm

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by talea51 »

My children love to be outdoors. We have a tiny garden which is completely filled with a climbing frame and my children are on that every opportunity they get. They scooter up and down our drive and up and down the drive of our friends opposite us. Our road is unfortunately reasonably busy so I am not comfortable with them going out of my line of sight. We have a green at the end of our road and they go up there sometimes to play and ride on their scooters but in this weather, they've been indoors mostly. They are not fans of rain and my garden isn't a garden, it's a swamp - so for the last month, they've mostly been playing indoors.

We have been taking them to the gym for a swim as well, they do love to swim. We keep talking about going geocaching but have yet to actually try it. It does sound like a lot of fun though. Hopefully we'll get around to it sometime!
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

It's become something of a tradition that at the end of each summer term, ds2 hosts a camping party in our garden. The big tent goes up, the attendees arrive with airbags and sleeping bags and other play paraphernalia (usually lots of nerf guns for battles!). We do a bbq if the weather is OK, otherwise the sausages get cooked indoors. They have a brasserie going which they take turns to "feed" (under supervision) - it always looks like they are on some sort of picket line! Once that has gone out and moved a safe distance away, we leave them to it - they have run around all evening whilst it is light and when it is very dark, they tend to curl up in the tent telling stories or chatting until they fall asleep or I bellow out of the window that it is time for them to go to sleep. They are all very tired when they are picked up after breakfast the next day but it has always been good fun. We have to limit the numbers due to the size of the tent but there are usually 5 or 6 of them. We found that "camp outs" in the garden were a good way of getting the boys out when they were younger as it took them time to get the tent up, cook the food etc and then they got to sleep outside - this sleepover camp out is just an extension of that. Maybe you could try that! Even the bad weather doesn't put them off, although it is a challenge to dry the tent!!
MedievalBabe
Posts: 1191
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:56 pm

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by MedievalBabe »

Both of my 2 love the outdoors, they walk to our local park with friends and particularly in DD's case come home dirty having had fun building dens, climbing trees and jumping across the stream.

We were talking about GS yesterday and the fact that lots of children at the one school struggle and so drop out of school activities. The thought of not being able to go to Guides would be a disaster to her so she said "If I get a place at that school, I can still go to Guides?". Her Guides offer such a variety of activities, outdoors and in, maybe it's the Leader (me). On Friday we were supposed to go on a night hike, but the weather stopped us so instead they invaded my house for a movie night which was planned for another night in the term, you should have seen the mess when they left :lol: We will be going out for the night hike another night in the term weather dependent :?

DS sometimes moans that our programme at Guides looks very like their programme at Scouts, with the odd girly night! But when he has to come along he rarely complains :lol: Both kids came on Guide camp as babies and being out and about is part of their lives and complain when other parts of our lives stop them going out.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by Amber »

kenyancowgirl wrote:They have a brasserie going...
You must live somewhere very posh, KCG - we just have a fire here in Gloucestershire. :D
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Rats!!!..Brazier - in my defence, had one child up sick in the night and the other had an early doors get to school for a residential this am! I blame lack of sleep - perhaps I could have blamed autocorrect....!!!
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Do your children 'play out'?

Post by southbucks3 »

Camp outs in the garden are fun...the only problem we have is one of my dogs hates being disturbed when she is properly sleeping...she terrifies the less doggy ones with her low growling and moaning if they pop in for a nocturnal wee and knock against her bed. To be honest i do the same :lol: last camp out I finally got cross at 2am and told them I would let the chickens in the tent at 6am if they did not shut up!

My ds1 spent a night under a tarpaulin shelter against the house wall in the garden during the summer holidays...next morning he was still fast asleep with dogs licking him, chickens walking about...and us taking photos of his slobbery head hanging out the tarp. The thought of slugs, spiders, and creepy crawlies travelling all over me whilst my real bed was a wall distance away would prevent me, and probably most normal people from such insanity!

Btw.why are all boys, and many men obsessed with fire? Potential pyromaniacs the lot of them..I hate my clothes smelling of smoke.
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