The Simplicity of FUN

Often times, we project onto our children (or other people's children) what our idea of "fun" is. We think, "oh, I think they would enjoy building this scale model of the Eiffel Tower" or "my, what fun the children will have when they watch the paramedic demonstrate mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!" The fact is this is not at all fun for kids aged 2-18.

But for children in "pre-K" (aged 4-5), it is usually a great deal of fun to just do whatever. That is to say, they really enjoy just doing whatever their little brains encourage them to do. This fact was reinforced to me today when I helped chaperone Hannah's class on a fieldtrip to the Oakland Museum.

We took BART to the Lake Merritt station and walked the five-minute walk to the museum. The children were supposed to enjoy the displays on Native Americans and early California. During the month of November, the kids learned a lot about the first Thanksgiving and our country's heritage. The Native American displays at the museum were supposed to further reinforce what they have learned.

I found, however, that besides the unbridled revelry the kids exuded at simply experiencing a new place, the kids really liked just running around.

The initial impact of seeing the encased displays was exciting to them, but in truth, I think the kids had much more fun running around on the grassy outdoor courtyard during their bag lunch picnic time. It just goes to show that the kids have fun when they're just having fun. Extensive,

complicated fieldtrips to museums and the like are definitely important for making learning fun – but when it comes to having fun, your typical 5-year-old doesn't need anything more than a wide open space and some friends to share it with.

Note: Parents, if you would like your child's picture removed, please just let me know.