The Wonders of Outdoors

What did your parents do when they were bored?  Were they forced to go outside?  According to Joel Achenbach, kids in the past only went outside as there was not any video games to play or anything interesting to watch on TV [Argument! 277].  His generation, which grew up somewhere between the “Baby Boomers” and “Generation X,” hated the tiresome, hot summer days, and they were, in his words, “fatally bored” [277].  Furthermore, he goes on to suggest that playing outside is too outdated for children nowadays.  Yet Joel Achenbach fails to realize that the great outdoors—and even one’s own backyard—is so much better than a video game or any man-made entertainment.  By playing outside (rather than hanging out with one’s PlayStation 3), one can tangibly interact with their environment, witness God’s creation and build friendships.

First, when one goes outside, they can physically interact—touch, feel, pick up—their environment and they can learn so much in the process.  When I was younger and played outside, for instance, I weaved dandelion wreaths, created stone and stick soup, made bridges and towers for the neighboring anthills and literally cut our lawn with scissors.  Even though I grow up with a small, suburban backyard, there were numerous things to do, and I was constantly creating a new game or a new activity.  To compare, in accordance to Joel Achenbach’s stance where video games are superior, who actually learns how to weaves short grasses together while playing Sims?  Can one use their creativity and desire for adventure in a video game?  I would beg to differ; instead, being indoors and playing games that other people made reduces one’s free-thinking, so mental growth and motor learning occurs outside the most.

Moving on back to the fact that video games and television are man-made items, the outdoors has so much more to offer as it has been created by God.  Though there are amazing visuals and sound in some electronic entertainment, I would venture to say that the most awe-inspiring marvels are fashioned by the Creator (and are mostly outside).  Who is not astounded, as they examine the small beetle they captured in their backyard, that the insect does not only have rainbow colors underneath its legs but also small, mammal-like hairs?  Or, who does not enjoy the surprise visit of a stray cat, where they can sneak it some food (preferably the turkey lunchmeat from the fridge) and become a pet owner for the day?  There are so many God-given opportunities to experience outdoors—that’s why people go visit the Grand Canyon or go the ocean to swim with His dolphins—that staying inside and playing and playing a computerized version of it, i.e. Sims 3, is ludicrous.  In fact, the only times I can remember being “fatally bored” [Argument! 277] was when I was indoors, and the long-watched TV was a sight for sore eyes.

Last but not least, by going outdoors instead of playing inside, one has a better chance of making friends and strengthening friendships.  When one’s outside, they are not distracted by a lighted screen, and they can give their full attention to the person (or people) that they are with.  Additionally, one’s own backyard gives you plenty of opportunities of making memories while in the alternative, one only beats their high score.  I was fortunate enough to have several peers in my neighborhood growing up, and though we did not always get along, we did have a lot of fun, played a lot of Capture the Flag and perfect the basic social skills we did have.  Creating memories, learning to work together, and growing friendships are some of the most important things in any child’s life (or person’s life), and I have observed that these are easier to do when one is outside.

Overall, the outdoors is—or has the potential for some—to be an interesting place to learn, observe God’s creation and grow relationally.  Though it may be solely what one makes out of it (as I know some who obstinately refuse to enjoy themselves outside), the great outdoors holds so many more opportunities (than the indoors) that it can never be outdated or deathly monotonous.  Indeed, I was never extremely bored when I was outside, and part of me wishes that I could go back to the simple pleasures that come from being a child in their own backyard.  Perhaps, on my summer break, I could start walking in the neighborhood again or get some of my (much older) peers together for a quick game of Capture of Flag.  Or, maybe I could just sit down, gather a few stray flowers, and weave a dandelion necklace again.

Works Cited:

Achenbach, Joel. "Out of the Woods: Today's Kids Can't See the Forest for the MTV." Argument! 10th ed. N.p.: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 277-78. Print.