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It was nice to see some kids down the street who were out by their front sidewalk playing in the past couple of weeks. It was a sign that spring was coming.
And it was heartening to see kids laughing and frolicking outdoors. This group is particularly outside-focused, often seen out running, yelling, pushing each other and having fun, no matter the weather. They were there when the temperatures hit a record high in the 80s and they were out a few days later when it was sleeting and raining, laughing and enjoying themselves.
It seems increasingly important to parents and other adults to see that kids they love are lured out of the house and away from their phones and digital distractions.
This time of year we start seeing a few chalk hopscotch patterns of numbered squares. But it looks like a fun, energetic game to play, as kids hop on one and both feet, picking up a stone they had tossed as they head back to the start of the hopscotch layout.
We never played hopscotch when we were kids. It’s probably due to the fact that growing up on a farm, we didn’t have a sidewalk, or a lot of other concrete areas to draw the pattern on.
Forcing kids to go outside usually doesn’t work that well. Enticing them out to let them discover their own fun usually works better.
One thing that tends to get kids to have fun outside is getting dirty. The dirtier the better.
When our grandkids were younger and the weather was nice and rivers were low, we would take them to Seven Mile Creek Park on the Minnesota River side and set chairs next to the river. Some snacks and maybe a small fire was a good base camp. The kids soon started exploring, climbing down the muddy banks of the Seven Mile Creek tributary coming into the Minnesota River.
It was on the way back up the bank, slipping and sliding back down, that the mud began covering them.
When they were tired from it, a little rinsing off in the shallow shore of the river and a snack readied them for their next mini-exploration into the park.
The opposite attraction of mud is a simple lawn sprinkler. A sprinkler shooting a wave of cold water is irresistible to kids of any age — and often attractive to adults.
Rock hunting, either along river beds when the water is low or along an old gravel quarry interests some kids. We’ve managed to turn some of the grandkids into rock hounds, some of the others not — you either see a value in hunching over scanning for interesting rocks or you don’t.
In our area, we have a great draw to let kids enjoy the outdoors. The large network of bicycle trails, including Sakatah Singing Hills and Red Jacket, are perfect for an outing that can include just kids or a group of all ages. Even those living in the country may have some trails nearby or can take a bike ride on a quiet gravel road.
There are plenty more options to get kids out and find their own fun outdoors. It’s needed now more than ever.
Tim Krohn can be contacted at [email protected] or 507-720-1300.
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