Field Day

Kt has field day today. I don't recall ever having this when I was kid. I probably did, but I'm surprised I don't remember something this big of a deal! We always had a big school fair that was after school, families could come, you bought food (pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers), won games, and then we had the "Western Onion" - which was our favorite. You could send messages to your "friends" through the Western Onion for the price of one ticket, which most likely cost about 25 cents. I loved it because we lived so close to the school, that when the fair started I always knew because they would say, over a P.A. system, "(someone's name), please come to the Western Onion." If it was you, you'd run up and pick up your message, usually from some unknown love interest about how much he/she loves you and wants to meet you. No name, of course!! Such silly kid stuff! So silly that I'm sure nowadays, they wouldn't have a Western Onion anymore. Just way too much fun, not "educational" enough for a school fair or a field day!

Anyway, I surprised Kt with my visit. I sent her off to school this morning, sunny day in the 70's with a chance of passing showers. She was wearing what you see in the picture - t-shirt and shorts! On the way home from Em's doctor's visit (which was FABULOSO - no more ear infection, no more rash, no more heart murmur!!!), I stopped for a tank of gold, uh - I mean gas, and the temperature seemed to drop about 20 degrees!! I decided I ought to be a good mom and run some warm clothes over to Kt. By the time I got there, it was warm again, so she was flabbergasted that I'd intruded upon her afternoon of fun with a best bud!! I snapped a couple cameraphone pics and left her to enjoy her field day.

Field Day at her school was not at all like the field day where I taught. When I was a teacher, we had to take our students around to stations ALL DAY, and kids were timed at every event for ribbons - big competition! Then we had to eat lunch outside with them, typically in the heat! It was no fun for teachers and the kids might have it enjoyed it more without the competition aspect. At the end of the day, all the ribbons were presented - just more work for all the teachers.

At Kt's school, field day was more for enjoyment. They had lots of small stations, not a teacher in sight!!!, and the kids went around with a buddy to do whatever they wanted. No scoring, no competition, just pure and simple unsupervised fun! Well, not completely unsupervised because there are tons of parents there, but no one had a structure to the day for these kids. I actually think it's perfect, because these days there is no "free time" in school anymore, no time where kids can enjoy a couple hours of play with their friends. I think it was perfect!! I wish the kids had MORE time like this, which is why I think it is so tragic that school have taken to canceling holiday parties - just a real shame!

I'm hoping they didn't get washed out in that passing thunderstorm. I cannot wait to hear all about her day of fun at school. Fun is a necessary part of life, and if kids can't learn to have it in school, school will become dull, boring and unattractive. If you are a teacher or a parent, insist on some fun times for kids in school.