Awhile back a reader commented that she loved all my posts about getting kids out into nature but she found it unrealistic for her own kids because she lives in the inner city. I understand her plight because despite all the nature photos you see on this blog we do not live in the country. We live on a city lot just 2-3 blocks from downtown. I have to spread out and plan ahead to make sure my kids are spending time in “nature” as opposed to just outdoors. There IS a huge difference.
But city kids can have adventures too and while we like to go to state parks, nearby creeks and waterways, go camping, and all that jazz… we also like living in the city and adventuring there too. In fact I LOVE cities in Ohio because of all the historic and gorgeous buildings. Cities can be beautiful too.
Kids can get exercise from walking up and down city streets… ditch the car for a good workout. And if your kids are anything like mine they will find plenty of places to climb… even when there are no trees.
We often window shop in the city and if I it is just my daughter and I, we will go into antique stores. I will ooh and ahh over all the old stuff just like my own mom did. I never understood her love of antiques… until one day I loved them too… funny how that happens.
And what city would be complete without little book stores with cozy little nooks and balconies where you can read and people watch. BOOKS… just as delicious as antiques. My kids are already trained… they know books stores are some of the most magical places there are. You walk in with a taste for adventure and later that day or evening you can have a date with fairies, pirates, knights, or if you are like me… vampires.
I also like to take photos in the city. I especially adore the architectural details and all the brick. I am very much in love with brick and it makes such a nice background for pictures.
There are lots of ways to find adventure and mystery in the city… you just have to get out and make the most of what you have. How do YOU make the most of city living?
From another city dweller, this is AWESOME! ~smile~ There are also some GREAT opportunities for simple study of historical architecture…. (((((HUGS))))) sandi
From another city dweller, this is AWESOME! ~smile~ There are also some GREAT opportunities for simple study of historical architecture…. (((((HUGS))))) sandi
It’s good for kids to have a balance of both city and country life. As a child we lived in a small town but also had a farm that we visited often. At home I had my friends and my toys, school and all that goes along with it. At the farm, I had to pretend and make believe. Some of my most precious memories are of our visits to the farm on the weekends. The smells of the outdoors, the smell of the house that had been closed up in our absence, even the items we kept there had their own smell and special place there. We had very few toys there, and the ones we did seemed more special than any toys at home. My Mom gave us old salt and pepper shakers, old tin pans and dish soap bottles and that was our “kitchen” utensils. We had this old metal toy kitchen set in avacado green that I so wish I had for my own girls now. My little sister and I played for hours and hours in that little play kitchen, housed in the pantry of our big kitchen. That farm house seemed so big to me then. I’m sure if I were to walk through it today I would be amazed at it’s small size but the memories are still very big in my mind. We had a tire swing in a giant tree near the house and that is where I spent many summer days swinging and singing songs to myself (most of them made up). We experienced lots of different animals and critters. We had a few horses, a big wheat field, a pond, a nearby creek, the usual snake by the barn, raccoons in the chimney, opossums in the cold musty stone cellar, mice here and there. We were exposed to all types of creatures big and little and learned to respect them all in that environment. I grew up not afraid to get dirty or play in the weeds. We had play clothes with holes in them and got chigger bites in our underwear and sock lines. The sound of coyotes at night frightened my little sister but somehow I knew we were safe in the house, it was fascinating to me. We didn’t have running water so we brought water from the city in gallon jugs to brush our teeth, flush the potty and wash dishes in. We had camp fires and a little plastic pool to swim in (now that I look back, that was our bath too). We brought our food in coolers and made simple meals to last. Things were good at the farm. Our dog, Cricket, loved it too. She would disappear and sniff around anywhere and everywhere she pleased. She would only come running when it was time to leave and we would call to her after the car was packed and ready to head home. To me, I grew up with a good balance of country life and city life and I loved them both.
From a fellow ancient brick-lover I want to say, great post! All you need is imagination and the world really does unfold at your feet, country or city.
Connie…your comments are truly beautiful. What a blessed childhood you experienced.
Maureen Hume. http://www.thepizzagang.com
Very nice post. I have lived in the city most of my adult live, but grew up on a farm in Idaho. My everyday life was much like Connie’s but not quite so archaic. We did have a well and a small International Harvester refrigerator and a very old square electric water heater.
We did take baths in an old stock watering tub every Saturday night before church.
I did not know it at the time, but it was a life I crave to have back. Well, most of it. I could do with some indoor plumbing for a bathroom this time around.
It is a life I miss and it is a life I wish I could have provided for my children.
I too love antiques. But I think I like them differently than most folks. I like the ones not refinished.
I have an old 12 gauge shotgun from my Grandfather that had a few problems in its day. It’s barrels have split from the center piece and has been brazed back to it and a couple of holes in the barrels have been brazed shut again.
It is not worth a dime to anyone but me and not because it was Grandpa’s but because it obviously has a history.
Very beautiful daughter. Be sure to teach her all the love you know how.
Thanks for the great post.
Great post! This rings close to home for me. We live about a mile from Downtown Minneapolis, and often enjoy great days of “city adventuring.” My husband works many Saturdays and, since we are a single-car family, must come up with creative ways to fill the day. We take long walks to nearby nature parks (Minneapolis has a WONDERFUL park system, and we live about a mile from one of the city’s lakes and trail systems), but also take the bus downtown to simply wander. Some days we’ll go to the library or the park, but many times we just “see what we can see.” A fountain hunt can be fun– seeing how many different fountains we can find. This, of course, could be adapted to just about any kind of hunt you want! One day, we took a “wild flower” walk around our inter-city neighborhood, and came up with a bouquet of about 10 different kinds of flowers (SOME may call them weeds, but I guess beauty’s in the eye of the beholder!). Yes, we are big fans of the city adventure, ’round here.
the kids photo is very cool