Nanci Hellmich from USA Today on Retro Play
Photo courtesy of Oslo In The Summertime at Flickr
“If you’re looking for ways to get your children to move more this summer, show them the games you played as a kid, such as chasing lightning bugs, jumping rope, playing kickball, flying a kite or using a hula hoop. In this age of high-tech entertainment, call it retro play.”
That’s the opening of a great article entitled, “In summer, kids need real play time” written by Nanci Hellmich in USA Today.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Nanci for the article and we had a great conversation. She clearly practices what she preaches, and I asked her about her own childhood memories of play. She responded,
“I had a very active childhood in a farming community in Indiana. My sisters and I built forts in corn fields after the crops had been harvested, used blankets to make tents on our swing set, explored a woods behind our house, played at my grandparent’s farm and biked up and down our country road. We were outside playing almost all the time. In fact, my mom had a big bell she rang to call us home.”
We shared a laugh as my mom also had to call us in from our adventures with a bell.
Did your mom have a bell? What are your childhood memories of play?
When you need to take a break from playing, be sure to catch her retro play article. It’ll make you turn around and head right back outside.
