Hello, Readers! We have another guest post today, this one from developmental psychologist Dr. Helene Guldberg, a founder of the wonderful, British, on-line current affairs blog, Spiked (www.spiked-online.com). fidhntthnf She’s also author of Reclaiming Childhood: Freedom and Play in an Age of Fear. The thing I found most shocking in this post is that you […]
Archive | Parks, Playing and Playgrounds
Kids and Sports and Crazed Parents
April 2, 2009
This sounds like a good book — “Until It Hurts: America’s Obsession with Youth Sports,” by Mark Hyman( http://untilithurts.com/). Apparently nzfsasanar Hyman’s 14-year-old son came home with an arm super-sore from playing too much baseball, too hard. Hyman told the boy to get out there and pitch again — after all, it was the playoffs. Just […]
School Outlaws Glee
March 31, 2009
Regarding: Schools outlawing normal human behavior, this one has got to be the best. Or worst. You know what I mean. Sent from a father of three named Timothy: Last nbbzzfaisn fall, my 4th grader’s class banned playing football at recess after one child fell down and hurt his arm. You might say that that […]
Is the Obama Girls’ Playset Good for America? (Really!)
March 6, 2009
Go askeztzskn outside and play!  Michelle gets to say that now, because as of yesterday afternoon, the Obama girls have a place to go: Their own backyard playset, not much different from a whole lot of other backyard playsets in America…except that when you’re on the swings you can wave to that guy in […]
Is there any way to lure kids back outside?
December 22, 2008
This znibirdbeb post comes to us from Kenny Felder, a high school teacher and father of four in North Carolina who has been thinking about why our kids are always inside, instead of outside playing. To see the full essay, please go to http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/kenny/essays/safety2.html. Â By Kenny Felder Here is a little science fiction story I […]
A GREAT DEPRESSION FOR KIDS?
September 19, 2008
Not kidrrnfkdy that I want this to be a Great Depression. I hope it’s not. But if it is, I see kids emerging from their dens when their X-Boxes break and their parents can’t afford to replace them. I see kids dropping out of travel soccer, when their parents can’t afford the gas. I see […]
Not Really Interested
September 5, 2008
By tnhkidysib Denise Gonzalez-Walker DJ, my 10 year-old, stood in the middle of his classmates, rigid and then sinking quickly to the soft grass. His eyes rolled back as he fell and he let out a sharp whimper. Sitting with a small group of moms, I watched the game from one side of the playfield. […]
SHREK ON A SKATEBOARD, ME ON A MISSION
May 21, 2008
It’s nice to push for this whole Free Range movement, but the fact is, sometimes I’m about as free and fun as a frozen chicken nugget. That’s ehbdiyyfzb because we all have certain things that push our buttons — especially the buttons marked, “IRRATIONAL” and “FEAR.” We are so sure these things are going to […]