When I was a child, I used to knock on my best friends door. ‘Can Leanne play out?’ is what I would say.
Then that’s what we would do.
We could only go lamp post to lamp post. That was the marker. It was the span of about 6 houses. We did a lot of things between those two lamp posts. Putting dolls in prams and pushing them, walking around in our mum’s old high heel clip clop shoes, riding our bikes, scooters and rollerskates.
As we got older, we were allowed to venture a little further up and down the street. It’s weird how that felt like freedom.
It’s the summer holidays I remember the most. How the days felt long, hot and sticky. We would put washing up liquid in my friends paddling pool to make bubbles and play for hours. Occasionally, the skies would open up and it would chuck it down with rain and the air would smell of dry asphalt. That’s what summer smells like to me.
Things are a bit different in 2017. It’s easy to put the blame on technology and children preferring to play football on a Play Station rather than on a field, but the world doesn’t feel as safe anymore. If I had a 6-year-old girl, I wouldn’t be letting her play on the street. Even if I could see her out of the window.
Whenever I see a child with those shoes that have wheels, I get a pang of jealousy and have to remind myself I’m 30. So I can’t have them.
But as I have a blog, I can have a wishlist!
So here are the things I’d love to have during my outside adventures.
Proline Skates have some great skates, scooters and other equipment for outdoor activities. Now if only a 30-year-old woman could pull off a pair of Heelys!
I used to play outside too, in a garden adjacent to our block of flats. I’m not sure how safe it’s now, with more cars on the road.
I feel you! When I was a kid, the streets are often littered with children playing. And people don’t need to be wary of each other. Now, children are buried on their gadget screens and crimes are all over the place.
My all time favorite, outside activity, was skating!( on four wheels! Not this in line skating stuff!) When I was late 30’s I figured, ehh I’ll give the regular 4 wheeled skating a chance! Bought me some white skates, went down the driveway, and quickly took them back off, never to put them on again! Lol…great post!
No kidding, my brothers and I used to play outside a lot too but you just don’t see many kids doing that these days. My boy does watch tv and shows on his iPad a lot but they are educational and to teach him Mandarin and for limited amount of hours only. We also sign him up for lots of activities and always take him outside so he won’t be glued in front of electronics all the time.
My girls are 14 & 9 and can play in the back yard but not the front. The world is such an awful place. I trust my girls it’s other people.
My girls would love all of those things especially the Heelies. I have banned them though. They’re an accident waiting to happen with my two. lol x
summers and playing outside used to be the best things. (and heelys, too.) because i used to live in the countryside, i’d call my friends to go play, and was basically allowed to go as far as i could either walk or ride my bike, haha. it’s quite sad that most children won’t get to experience that these days. xx
Those roller skates are awesome! I used to love roller skating around my neighborhood 🙂
I never had those as a kid. I don’t really mind cos I rarely go outside. I’m such an introvert. LOL. It would be nice to have one, though. The problem is, we don’t have cemented pavements or roads back then
You can have whatever you want! I am considering buying roller skaters. It’s great to get out and just be happy without living the life expected of you but the life you expect to have. Love, pugs and kisses! Iga
So much yes to this.
Myself included, but a few of my school friends have move back to our village over the last two years, and upon meeting in our local pub, a couple of my friends have gone to each others houses and ‘knocked’ for them, asking if they could ‘play out’, just like we used to as kids. So comical!
I agree that time shave definitely changed and although my toddler has a Amazon tablet, he’s very restricted on it and at every opportunity, I make/encourage him to be outside. I always was as a child. On bike rides, playing in the fields, up trees etc.
I don’t think I’d be good on wheelies. I feel I would be able to get the timing right for changing between one and the other.lol
Caroline.x
http://www.carolineelgeywhite.com
It’s so weird seeing my niece and nephew spend so much time indoors! When I was their ages I was never home. I lived in a small suburb so I had a bit more freedom than one block, but we knew that as soon as the streetlights came on it was time to be home. I had a pair of skates but never go the hang of them. One of my nephews had Heely’s and would use them alllllll the time haha!
Haha – yes! That was my childhood too. Things have definitely changed though, and like you, I wouldn’t let my girl, or boy, play outside alone, even if I could see them! It only takes a second these days 🙁
I’d break my neck in Heelys, but would love to get back into rollerskating! 🙂 Tania Michele xx
I want a pair of those shoes with wheels too! It’s so unfair!