There was a time in Newfoundland, roughly a generation ago, when back doors of houses opened every morning from the end of June to Labour Day and were shut very quickly.
Usually, those doors had a mother holding the knob, from whom the statement “see you for dinner” or “get the smell of house of you” was uttered.
There was a time when a child spending a whole day indoors was unheard of.
But in just one generation, filled with music videos, instant messaging and Facebook, our children have forgotten how to make their own fun.
At one time, nearly every backyard had a big tree and a rope suspending an old tire. Sometimes, Pop was called on to fashion a swing out of a piece of board.
In larger communities, the playground was always a beehive of activity.
Playgrounds were simple: a few swings, a slide and maybe a merry-go-round. To the kids who used them, these low-tech pieces of equipment provided hours of fun and enjoyment.
Not only were the children getting some wonderful fresh air and exercise, they were able to use their imaginations.
Playing outdoors also gave children freedom.
They were able to develop their own games with their own rules, solve disputes themselves and have fun without a grown-up or computer image to tell them the hows, whys, whens and whats of a game.
In too many neighbourhoods and communities across our province and country, this kind of play has been lost.
Children have seemingly disappeared from our streets and fields.
Some are inside their homes, where videos games and computers strip away their ability to communicate with others. Some are being taught that the only way to succeed is to live life in a structured, pre-arranged schedule.
We are lucky, since we live in a place that remains relatively safe, where we can still let our kids venture outside.
The Let Them Be Kids project that came to fruition this past weekend gave the children of Bishop’s Falls much more than just a few swings and a slide.
We are lucky, since we live in a place that remains relatively safe, where we can still let our kids venture outside. -
The new state of the art playgrounds caused such a stir in the town that they gave most of the kids a sense of ownership in them.
The new, colourful playgrounds in Bishop’s Falls will open up a whole new world of play to the kids there, since their former playground fell into disrepair some time ago.
The children in Bishop’s Falls were far from inactive before, but they now have a wonderful place to have fun.
Play is an amazing part of childhood and it is through the experiences on the playground kids will learn social skills, experience victories and triumphs, defeats and losses. They will develop new skills and be physically active.
Playgrounds like the ones built in Bishop’s Falls Saturday bring us back to simpler times, when a drink from a hose on a hot summer day and taking turns on a swing brought joy and laughter to children.
We might live in an age where video games can fit into your pocket and nine-year-olds own cell phones, but deep down, kids are still kids.
There is not a child under 13 who would not scream with joy when they arrive at a new playground. And the value of a playground is evident to anyone who has tried to leave such a place with a five-year-old after only a half hour of being there. Children simply never want to leave.
The tireless efforts of dozens of volunteers in Bishop’s Falls over the past few months, coupled with generous personal and corporate donations, have once again ‘let them be kids.”
The playgrounds will bring these children joy that they will never find in front of a screen.
David Newell
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