The good things of life are free, actually.
We’re all being constantly told, ‘the good things in life cost money’ (or a credit card). Increasingly, through the decades, the emphasis has been mainly on entertainment that money can buy: vacations, camps, sports gear, toys, clothes, special classes…
A parent mentioned how, when he decided to take his son out for a small drive, the 6-year-old asked as they were getting into the car: “Took your wallet?” Our children are growing up with the notion that no fun can be had without an exchange of money. Surely we need to bring some of the pleasure of just ‘hanging loose’ to our kids? After this incident, the child’s parents decided that once a week would be a ‘wallet forgotten at home outing’.
It takes only a little extra effort on our part to come up with fun trips or activities that do not involve spending money.
Let’s look at just a few ‘leads’:
Every season, your city has some tree or the other in bloom. Simply walk down to the nearest one with your child, and fill a whole basket with flowers or seeds, seedpods shed on the ground. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how engrossed a child can get in this activity.
Take a walk up a low hill or the seashore with your kids, and pick up a fascinating array of stones or shells – there’s a treasure trove there. Come home, scrub them clean with your kids, and watch them sparkle in a tray or an artistic pile at the entrance to your home. Again, absolutely free.
Involve your kid in any minor repair/maintenance work you’re doing on your vehicle, instrument, or any part of your home. Even something as simple as oiling the hinges of a creaky door. Plan for it with enthusiasm and it won’t be a chore but a fun activity, full of unspoken lessons.
Revive indoor games, like good old carom, card games, and the like.
Involve your child in gardening – even a little windowsill garden fascinates every child.
Get a good storyteller – a relative, a friend – to narrate to your kids.
Draw your child into cooking/baking.
There’s so much that money just can’t buy. Go get it for your kids!
Delve into your own childhood, and you’ll recall that there were many such engrossing things that your parents did with you, which were not strictly speaking ‘scheduled’ children’s ‘entertainment’.
Of course, all this assumes that as a parent, grandparent or godparent you are willing to invest other important and more complex resources in your child besides money: time, energy and imagination. It also assumes that you yourself do not always need the props and distractions of shops, technology and merchandise to entertain and engage you in the many wonders that the world has to offer.