One of my not so big secrets is that I still love to play like a kid. As entertainment costs for movies, sports events, and theatre continue to skyrocket, being a big kid is an inexpensive way to have fun. I enjoy playing video games, building models, participating in sports and playing with toys. Before we had our daughter, I didn't have a good excuse to do these activities. I would have to admit that I was doing it for myself:-)
Now that we have our daughter, I get to play as much as I want, with our little girl being the apparent reason. Here are all the things I get to do now, without any guilt:
Imagine. It's great to pretend one is an astronaut, fireman, artist or a bear. We build robots from lego blocks, do puppet shows, bring stuffed animals to life. Imagination can be great entertainment.
Draw and sing. My drawing is atrocious and I sing horribly. However, to my daughter, each drawing I do is a masterpiece. Our driveway is filled with chalk drawing requests. We learned very early on that singing calms our daughter at night. So I sing a lot at nights.
Play video games. I am the original video game addict. That's why I don't own any. Although my daughter doesn't play, my nephew does, using his Play Station. The last time I beat him in a video game, he was 5. Now he routinely beats me, and he probably could win even with his eyes closed :-)
Have fun doing silly things. We chase each other around the house. We yell and scream, blow bubbles, throw snowballs and fly kites. I am excited at the overcoming the simplest challenges. We have fun feeding our fish. I crawl around the house like a bear. We laugh, we laugh and we laugh more.
Learn like a child. Going to children's museums is one of my more serious children's activities. As an engineer, I love to see science in action. A great place to observe how science works is at a Children's museum. Scientific principles are brought to life in a way that is enlightening and entertaining.
The zoo is another great place for learning, especially about the animals, their habitats and the environment. For me, I get to relearn all the great animal knowledge that I had forgotten.
Not only is playing like a kid fun, it also can be very inexpensive. With the exception of the museums and the zoo, there are no major costs that are associated with the above activities. For the museum and zoo, we get yearly family memberships which pay out after the second visit.
For more on Crossing Generations , check back every Thursday for a new segment.
Photo Credit: morgueFile.com, Phaedra
Now that we have our daughter, I get to play as much as I want, with our little girl being the apparent reason. Here are all the things I get to do now, without any guilt:
Imagine. It's great to pretend one is an astronaut, fireman, artist or a bear. We build robots from lego blocks, do puppet shows, bring stuffed animals to life. Imagination can be great entertainment.
Draw and sing. My drawing is atrocious and I sing horribly. However, to my daughter, each drawing I do is a masterpiece. Our driveway is filled with chalk drawing requests. We learned very early on that singing calms our daughter at night. So I sing a lot at nights.
Play video games. I am the original video game addict. That's why I don't own any. Although my daughter doesn't play, my nephew does, using his Play Station. The last time I beat him in a video game, he was 5. Now he routinely beats me, and he probably could win even with his eyes closed :-)
Have fun doing silly things. We chase each other around the house. We yell and scream, blow bubbles, throw snowballs and fly kites. I am excited at the overcoming the simplest challenges. We have fun feeding our fish. I crawl around the house like a bear. We laugh, we laugh and we laugh more.
Learn like a child. Going to children's museums is one of my more serious children's activities. As an engineer, I love to see science in action. A great place to observe how science works is at a Children's museum. Scientific principles are brought to life in a way that is enlightening and entertaining.
The zoo is another great place for learning, especially about the animals, their habitats and the environment. For me, I get to relearn all the great animal knowledge that I had forgotten.
Not only is playing like a kid fun, it also can be very inexpensive. With the exception of the museums and the zoo, there are no major costs that are associated with the above activities. For the museum and zoo, we get yearly family memberships which pay out after the second visit.
For more on Crossing Generations , check back every Thursday for a new segment.
Photo Credit: morgueFile.com, Phaedra
This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.
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8 comments:
None of us ever really grows up. We just hopefully get a little wiser.
Nice thing about living in DC area is that all the museums are free. :) You are absolutely right, fun doesn't have to be expensive.
Cheers,
-Goldfish
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum recently teamed up with Google Earth to highlight the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.
http://www.ushmm.org/googleearth/
Great way to teach children about current events with FREE technology.
Good entertainment that is all most free. Sometimes one can just be a kid.
www.usactivedutymilitary.blogspot.com
Zachary,
If I only knew then what I know now ... :-)
Goldfish,
Yes, and I didn't fully appreciate the free admission when I was a child in the D.C. area.
Savvy Steward,
Thanks for the tip on the Google Earth.
Vause,
Since our daughter arrived, I've been trying to bring out the kid in me more often :-)
Nice one. Entertainment doesn't have to be expensive. Apart from the entertainment factor, a few of the things you mention are also very crucial for cultivating essential qualities in children.
we'll always be a kit at heart :)
Great suggestions for inexpensive entertainment.
Here via the carnival of family life.
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