We’ve had a streak of unusually warm spring weather around town this year, and nothing gets me happier than weather beckoning me to come outside and play! Kids are no different. Playing is in their blood; it’s what they’re wired to do and how they are wired to actually learn. Isn’t that amazing? God wired kids to actually LEARN through play. Genius!
The 80 degree temps pulled all the neighbor kids out of their homes to congregate in one backyard for some great water play. We had a kid pool, water guns, a water table, pool toys, a sprinkler, and water running down the slide on the swing set to make it especially quick. For dinner, we all ate sandwiches, chips, cookie cake and fruit salad outside, the kids taking brief breaks for a bite only to run back to the water oasis.
One of the moms commented, “I hope my kids look back and appreciate how I tried to really make things fun for them.” Simple statement, but it stopped me right in my tracks. How will my kids remember me? What will they think of their childhood? Was I rigid and overly cautious about getting your hands dirty and making messes, or did I see those opportunities as moments to learn and grow and make a positive deposit in their memory bank?
Everyone has memories of their childhood, both good and bad. The goal is not to keep your kids from ever having “bad” memories because that’s impossible. Life happens, sleepovers get cancelled, you lose your favorite toy, it rains on your pool party birthday party, and you get sick on graduation. We can’t avoid these things from happening. But we can fill the other moments with laughter, close friendships, and play (or, slip and slides, bike rides, Jell-O wars and water balloon fights). What will your kids remember about their childhood? What can you do to make their memories richer and fuller than they are?