Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?

One of my favorite songs from childhood is a cute melody that says:

Oh what do you do in the summertime when all the world is green? 

I always appreciated this line since I grew up in Mesa, AZ where it was rarely green. The song spurred my imagination as to what I would do, if I did indeed have access to a green world. For the most part, summers were spent catching ladybugs, running through sprinklers, and hours upon hours we would swim. We were not in a neighborhood that had any home pools, as many new-builds now do. What we had was far greater- we had the junior high public pool. For my family, it was across the street on the other side of the school track. It was literally a five minute walk down a very hot berm of dirt. With bare feet, we would run across the scorching street, then as fast as we could to the not-so-green grass on the other side of the school yard fence. Some days, the grass was so dry that it was less painful to walk on the berm. We children would build up our summer calluses on our feet with extraordinary speed. We would go swimming for a quarter a day. If we were lucky that summer, the folks would be able to afford a full-summer swimming pass for $25 for our entire family (this was usually the case). From Monday through Saturday, noon to 9 pm, we would go to the pool, without worry of sunscreen (as it was just then being invented and no one cared to wear it) and we would swim. Usually, we did not even need a towel to dry off, as the sun would take care of that in minutes when we laid on the naturally heated sidewalk to dry. 

Poston Pool
Photo from azcentral.com

Our pool was not indoors, but outdoors with a shallow end, 12 swimming lanes in the middle, and three diving boards in the deep end. Terrified of heights, I always opted for the two lower boards, perfecting the cannonball with splashes that would tackle those in passing. Several times throughout the day, the deep end would close down so we could play Sharks and Minnows. Like a game of tag in the water, this was a great way to have some fun with many friends at once. My brother and I had an advantage in that we could hold our breath for long periods of time and swim to the bottom of the 12 foot water, crossing the pool in one breath, avoiding being caught by the "sharks". This was often followed by a game of Marco Polo as the deep end went back to being used for diving. The pool was my sanctuary, a refuge from the world. There, I was free to laugh, play, explore, and use my imagination. I was physically active and fit through hours of play all summer long. 

At only 38 years of age, I do not remember complaining about being bored. Now with computers and social media taking over homes and schedules, it seems that children (sadly) do not know how to use their imagination very well. With all due respect, perhaps it is also that younger parents have not been taught the art of allowing their kids to be.... kids. That is alright. Turn to more experienced parents for guidance. (Most of us appreciate opportunities to share what we learned the hard way.) It seems education plans state that every activity and learning opportunity must be scheduled and timed. This takes away from children being allowed to be... kids, to imagine themselves into a world where Boredom doesn't exist. Give them a piece of sidewalk chalk and teach them how to draw a hopscotch for hours of fun. Buy them a jump rope! Hand them a basketball. Sets of marbles are only $1 and can provide plenty of learning as well as entertainment. For those that are still learning and needing ideas, the internet is a great resource, as well as the library. Online, you can find links such as this one that will help generate ideas to keep your kids busy all summer long.

Photo courtesy of mesalibrary.org

LIBRARIES! That was my other saving grace in my youth. Each of us had our own library card and we would go to the library weekly, stockpiling books of all genres. When I was not swimming, I was reading. I read so much my mother had a difficult time getting me to do my chores. If chores were not done and rooms were not picked up, then fun got pushed aside. This taught us responsibilities and fun both had their place. 

As we rear our children towards adulthood, remember they are kids first. This is not an automatic invitation to be on the computer all day. It is, in fact, an opportunity to teach them to utilize their minds. When they are grown with families of their own, and their children and grandchildren ask, "What did you do in the summertime?" Do you want them to say, "I spent 9 hours a day on video games," or would you rather have them say, "We went on great adventures. I was a pirate for a while, then a mountain climber, then an Olympic swimmer!" Encourage imagination in your children, for it just longs to be set free!

Raising explorers-

Mama Dragon