A recent survey commissioned by a well known clothing catalogue company revealed surprising results: Classic outdoor games like hopscotch, foursquare and even marbles are on a serious decline.
In the U.K., a well known radio commentator, also a father of two, has joined the bandwagon by supporting the return to 'rough and tumble' play campaign. Many of us who are over forty will mourn this loss because most of us have such fine memories of... a croquet game that got us laughing hysterically, a badminton game where the 'birdie' got stuck in a tree and we had to get it down... fill in the blanks with your own here.
But there's something much more important at stake than a simple loss triggered by such memories. It's not just corny nostalgia. Adults do need to get involved.
Outdoor games are simple and elegant in their simplicity. The equipment is not outrageously expensive, especially when compared with all the techno games out there today. We should not dismiss the waning of classic outdoor games as misplaced nostalgia. We need to breathe new life into outdoor activities that build human interpersonal skills and relationships.
One commentator remarked, quite pointedly, that "outdoor games... provide children with valuable rehearsals for everyday life." I couldn't agree more.
Just choosing up sides for teams requires organization, consensus and basic team building skills. Fair play is essential; this is a concept many adults participating in today's business world could go back and relearn.
The basic physicality of an outdoor game, volleyball for example, compels accurate risk management. Whether on the offensive or defensive, strategizing is in play. A player may want to smash the ball but it's certainly not clever to keep smashing into another player.
Many classic outdoor games cut across gender and cultural lines. The symbol for 'time out' is pretty universal. Pretty cool when you think about it.
But mostly, classic outdoor games are about simple, basic, essential fun. They create an invaluable opportunity for physical immersion, mental stimulation off computer and the building of the purest human connections that soothe the soul and build character.
We cannot and should not deny our children, our families and our friends the time, space and opportunity to continue to participate in the kind of play offered by classic outdoor games. The loss would be incalculable. And, do note, that the classic outdoor games have kept up with the times.
Equipment is safer, more ergonomically designed for better, even faster play. Some games do have 'bells and whistles' added, like LED lights for night time play but the basic skills underlying the original games survive.
When you consider that many of these skills originated from pre-Greek Olympic times, that's considerable food for thought.
Let's not mourn the loss of outdoor play time. Let's make time for it. Despite budgetary cuts plaguing many schools today, this is one thing that a family of moderate means can do, together, with benefits that are priceless.
Go outside and play! Pick up classic outdoor games and start your fun! Party at your house! Play today!
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