Kids Being Active

Kids Being Active…. Kids Participating in Team Sports

By Jim Castrataro

When I was growing up we had a stack of 3 x 5 cards in the kitchen cabinet. The rule was that if you were going to a friend’s house you had to write down on the card where you were going so my parents knew where you were. Typically the note read something like, “at Tommy’s house” or “up at the school playing stickball.” The second rule came into play on the weekends. This was more of an unwritten rule, however, and my three older sisters and I all knew, and, followed it. We needed to be out of the house before 10:00 a.m. or you were brought into Dad’s world of house chores. This seemingly endless list of items to get accomplished was in my father’s head and you could be trapped all day!

As you can tell I grew up in a very active house, where sitting still was not recommended, naps… forget it, lounging and watching TV was a bad idea. Trips to the beach during weekends were all day affairs and if we were not on the beach eating breakfast by 8:30 a.m. it was considered that we were behind schedule. (Only my family could have a schedule on a beach day.) This active childhood has transferred to my adult life. I have remained active on a daily basis, eat as well as I can and am still moving by 10:00 a.m. at the latest. I will

From swim camps and lessons to academic programs, all will keep your son or daughter engaged and active in a way that is best for them.

admit the 10:00 a.m. rule does not exist in my house and keeping the girls active can be a challenge except for one area. My wife and I were fortunate enough to get them involved in camp life at a young age. They think about camp all year long, sing the songs of the camp day and are always wondering what will change for the upcoming summer. They have transferred many of the activities of the camp day to the winter and it is great to see them outside and active, even when it involves food coloring. The smart phones are here to stay and the days of 3 x 5 cards are long gone, but the spirit does not also

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need to fade. There are so many options to keep kids active we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. I encourage you to look at all your options. From swim camps and lessons to academic programs, all will keep your son or daughter engaged and active in a way that is best for them. There are many price ranges and lucky for us, the state of Massachusetts has strict guidelines in place to keep your kids safe!

Camps are a great way to experience new ideas in a setting that is different from school. If everybody is frog bogging, well, they are probably going to jump in the mud too!! It is just one event, but may open new doors. Sure the archery stand is always a big draw, but I always hear the best stories from arts and crafts and music class. I was even surprised to hear my youngest, excited one day this past summer when it was raining. I was ready for the complaints, but was completely surprised when she popped out of bed excited because the rain means movies, board games, fun speakers and she would get to see her big sister!!

While the world is moving at a snappy pace, I am happy to no longer live with the 10:00 a.m. rule and will reluctantly admit to some of the benefits of getting a text from my daughter, camps continue to be the constant in our lives. Active happy kids, learning about their environment and taking calculated risks to explore their boundaries. I encourage you to look at your options and expose your children to a ½ day, week or overnight camp if you can. The experiences will stick with them and help encourage an active lifestyle into their adult years! Time to go play lunch public hockey!!!

Jim Castrataro is the director of summer programs at Babson College. His experience spans 17 years directing and consulting a variety of camp programs for thousands of children and young adults ranging from 5 to 18 years of age.

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