Perhaps it was just that the evening was clear, or perhaps since winter solstice has passed, yesterday seemed longer. It was as if the sun hung above the horizon just a little longer than it has been. In any case, it beckoned us outside. The boys and I mostly watched the neighbor get their gutters cleaned. It involved multiple ladders, buckets, and ropes; truly engaging for three year olds. But then just as darkness started to come on fully and the roof cleaner's headlamp went on, we began a game of "birds" flying to trees. We used multi-colored cones that I had purchased for our play and learn group and the kids took turns saying which color tree we should run to, then the game morphed and it became just follow the leader with the littlest leading us all. We ran in circles from one tree to the next, flapping our arm wings, smiling at the night in the occasional on and then off beam of the motion sensor light.
We were truly just playing. It reminded me of the book that I just had found in the library A Running Start, How Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child, by Rae Pica. The book was well written and basically reminded me how important free play is for young people. One of the messages that it stressed was the children have to lead the play and how that making sure that not every moment of children's lives is planned. The book also stressed allowing children to just play with other children. I think that in the past this latter point was so much easier when neighborhood children just played with one another. Now I find that due to so much childcare, to so much traffic, to so much fear, that parents don't just let their children head out and play. I find myself needing to set up playdates -- which often don't work out due to illnesses or situations that arise for families. Spontaneous play is sparse.
It is for this reason that I set up a local urban nature play and learn. The idea is that children will just get together and play. The challenge has been that not that many people have been attending, perhaps it is our location or perhaps it is that we have not publicized it enough. I also wonder if outside play is a challenge when it requires having the right clothing in order to be comfortable in any weather.