Children’s Pastimes Today and Yesterday When thinking of days gone by, I am reminded of a time when life seemed less complicated with ample opportunity to be creative and happy. My childhood offered hours of entertainment. It included imaginative play, exercise, family, and wholesome living. Sprinkle that mix with a bit of mischief and the season of my childhood was unforgettable. For the youth of today; growing up is not so different when it comes to the titles of experiences. They, no doubt, will be able to include entertainment, family, and play as highlights; yet, for many their journey is missing the carefree creative element of the great outdoors. Outdoors meant play and a game that involved a B.B. gun war was the game of choice for my brothers, my cousins, and me. Our adventure included forts that we made in the sheep shed, in the trees, and various other spots. We would sneak around looking for our next target and the right opportunity to shoot them in the butt. After our target was located, there were a couple pumps to the B. B. gun, the lock and cock, and then the fun of watching our victim dance around holding his bottom. Boy was it entertaining! In the winter we would sled and build snow forts and in the summer we would ride our bikes and horses, swim in the pond, and play cowboys and Indians. When I think about it, it seems like we were always coming up with a really bad idea that had the potential of getting someone hurt or would get us all into some serious trouble. However, even though we were wild and a bit adventurous, nothing we did was mean or malicious; it was a time when kids could be kids. Our imagination and energy was running full steam ahead, which allowed plenty of exercise. We stayed active because our only other option was television and the three channels of news for our viewing pleasure. When we did watch television, we loved the Mario video games and the occasional movie that was rented from the local store. Today kids spend a…
