We lived on the best street growing up. It didn't lead anywhere so it didn't get much traffic and almost every house had a handful of kids living there. That meant many, many hours of outdoor fun. One of our favorite games was SPUD, but I had completely forgotten about it until I saw the new book "Let's Go Outside" by Jennifer Ward.
It's a collection of the rules to your favorite outdoor games, recipes for bubbles, instructions for things like building kites and forts, and suggestions for outdoor activities.
So here are the rules to SPUD as I remember them (assisted a bit by Jennifer Ward). First, gather a group of kids, five or more would be good. Someone is IT. IT whispers a different number to each of the other players. For example, if there are 6 kids total, IT whispers the numbers 1 through 5 to the other kids.
Then IT throws the ball up in the air as high as he can while he yells out a number. The kid who is assigned that number runs to catch the ball while everyone else runs away from the catcher. When he catches it he yells out "SPUD" and everyone else must freeze. The catcher then takes four giant steps toward the nearest player (yelling S-P-U-D) and tries to tag them with the ball. If that player is hit they get an "S".
The catcher then becomes IT and assigns numbers to the other players and it all begins again. Each time a player gets tagged with the ball they get the next letter in the word SPUD. Each player keeps track of the letters he has been "tagged" with. When he gets all four letters to spell out "SPUD" he is out of the game. Or you can forget that rule and just keep playing until the ice cream truck comes by.
"Let's Go Outside" is published by Trumpeter Books, is recommended for ages 8-12, will be available at bookstores in July and retails for $14.00. While you're checking it out, look for her previous book "I Love Dirt." I want that book just for the title, its priceless!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Cell Phones - Love 'em or leave 'em
I have a small vent about cell phones and kids. Please bear with me.
Cell phones have become an issue in our household. One my parents never had to deal with.
Cell phones have made life much easier for us, I have to admit, but they do have a down side as well, or rather several downsides.
I'm not a cell-phone-aholic. I do carry mine in my purse and keep it on all the time, but I rarely text, don't check my e-mail with it, don't have internet access on it.
My kids, on the other hand, LOVE their cell phones and this love has caused our family to reevaluate the rules in our house and the manners we teach our kids.
Rule #1 - we don't answer the phone at dinner time. Not the house phone, not anyone's cell phone and NO, we don't check out text messages while we eat!
Rule #2 - phones are turned off during homework time and at bedtime. I do not want to be hearing that little you've-got-a-text chime at 10:30 at night. Cell phones don't go with us to dinner at Granny's house.
Rule #3 - you do not have unlimited texts. I want my girls to learn limits and to have self control. I do not want them engaging in 50 word e-mail exchanges that amount to nothing more than "did so, did not."
Rule #4 - If you send an inappropriate photo of yourself to someone else you will lose your phone now and forever. The next time you get a cell phone will be when you are financially independent.
Rule #5 - If someone sends you a sexually explicite text you must show it to me immediately. If you do not tell me about it, the consequences of Rule #4 will apply.
And here is Laurie's List of Cell Phone Etiquette:
If you call a # that you are just SURE belongs to that cute boy you met last summer and the person answering it says you have the wrong number, do NOT send 10 text messages to that number. ITS A WRONG NUMBER!
Do not hit the resend button 75 times when you text doesn't go through. The person you are texting may have turned their phone off and when they turn it back on they'll have to deal with your 75 messages.
Edit your texts before you send them. Think carefully about what you say, because the recipients mother may just read that text and she may be calling your mother about the mean and nasty thing you just texted.
In our house cell phones are a privilege, not a right. I wish more kids would realize that and more parents would enforce it.
Vent over!
Cell phones have become an issue in our household. One my parents never had to deal with.
Cell phones have made life much easier for us, I have to admit, but they do have a down side as well, or rather several downsides.
I'm not a cell-phone-aholic. I do carry mine in my purse and keep it on all the time, but I rarely text, don't check my e-mail with it, don't have internet access on it.
My kids, on the other hand, LOVE their cell phones and this love has caused our family to reevaluate the rules in our house and the manners we teach our kids.
Rule #1 - we don't answer the phone at dinner time. Not the house phone, not anyone's cell phone and NO, we don't check out text messages while we eat!
Rule #2 - phones are turned off during homework time and at bedtime. I do not want to be hearing that little you've-got-a-text chime at 10:30 at night. Cell phones don't go with us to dinner at Granny's house.
Rule #3 - you do not have unlimited texts. I want my girls to learn limits and to have self control. I do not want them engaging in 50 word e-mail exchanges that amount to nothing more than "did so, did not."
Rule #4 - If you send an inappropriate photo of yourself to someone else you will lose your phone now and forever. The next time you get a cell phone will be when you are financially independent.
Rule #5 - If someone sends you a sexually explicite text you must show it to me immediately. If you do not tell me about it, the consequences of Rule #4 will apply.
And here is Laurie's List of Cell Phone Etiquette:
If you call a # that you are just SURE belongs to that cute boy you met last summer and the person answering it says you have the wrong number, do NOT send 10 text messages to that number. ITS A WRONG NUMBER!
Do not hit the resend button 75 times when you text doesn't go through. The person you are texting may have turned their phone off and when they turn it back on they'll have to deal with your 75 messages.
Edit your texts before you send them. Think carefully about what you say, because the recipients mother may just read that text and she may be calling your mother about the mean and nasty thing you just texted.
In our house cell phones are a privilege, not a right. I wish more kids would realize that and more parents would enforce it.
Vent over!
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