It started with two and grew.
It is a rare thing to witness in this time we now live.
A large group of children (of all ages) playing a game they initiated, designed and implemented with absolutely no adult guidance or input.
This is something that happened regularly in my childhood but not so much anymore.
Free play is a dying necessity.
Organized sports and extra-curricular activities, with children’s little free time planned/scheduled to the minute.
Making what I witnessed today all the more sweet.
After a hike, we ended back at the playground near our parked car. I was going to let the kids play before our hour ride back home. A boy, about the same age as my oldest son, bravely walked up to my son and asked if he wanted to play tag. Once my son decided he was done playing with his stick pistol, he ran off with his new friend. My friend and I sat on a bench to chat and watch the kiddos. Her kids and mine would occasionally run back to us for water, rest or to share what they were doing. At this point, I realized that all our kids where playing tag. Actually, we were informed that it had evolved into freeze tag. We knew this because one of the kids asked if they were playing it correctly. Of course, anyway they decided to be right, was fine. More time went by and as I looked up from my conversation, I noticed almost every child on the playground was running around and playing this game of tag. New kids would arrive to the playground and they were recruited. Others would have to go. It was quite the sight to see 3 year olds and 10 year olds playing gleefully the same thing.
Sadly, our time to head home had come. As I walked through the elaborate game to collect my players, I was taken back decades earlier to games I played much like this one. I felt hope for this generation. Hope that they get the chance of real childhood moments like this one. Hope of a generation that can come together on their own terms, problem solve, work as a team, kindly navigate differences and create things that are amazing.
As I think back at that moment, I realized I didn’t take a single picture. This means, I was truly swept up in the moment. Yet, why is that odd? No one took pictures of us in the 80’s playing. No worries, I will forever have this photographic moment saved in my mind. And my kids (all the kids involved) have a perfect childhood memory. Much like my own, that I hold dear.