About the Book
“…How fantastic is this book. I can’t tell you how many of these games I played. Your book brought back such memories. Every parent needs to have this book…” – Richard Simmons
“…Besides giving grandparents a blueprint for resurrecting these games with their own grandchildren, this book also may inspire us to step back and let the kids manage some of their game-playing on their own, the way we used to do…” — Susan Adcox; About.com: Grandparents
Young Americans are in the midst of a health crisis. We cannot just sit back and watch their stress levels climb and fitness levels dive. More importantly, our children and grandchildren cannot sit back any longer. They need to stand up, stretch out and get outside to play – and we need to encourage them to do so. It is this author’s opinion that traditional play can help to address current stress and fitness issues and prevent future problems. Let’s get our children in shape the old fashioned way – through play!
This book is a RetroActive guide for modern youth and a nostalgic look back at play for the parents and grandparents of children growing up in the twenty-first century. The author believes that by bringing childhood play back into our streets, courtyards, sidewalks and backyards; we can improve the mental, emotional and physical health of this and the next generation.
Sometimes, we develop complicated strategies to address basic problems. Many children in America are struggling to keep their weight under control. Others appear to be stressed out at a very young age. Since our traditional culture of play has changed in the past 30 years, we are seeing more and more children battling obesity. Is that a coincidence? I don’t think so. Today, our children are all too happy sitting in the same spot for hours while engrossed by the electronic glow of a television or video game. When I was growing up, most children didn’t sit still for five minutes when they could be playing a game outside.
When was the last time that you played stickball? Kick the can? In eight short chapters, RetroActive brings back the memories of neighborhood play in the 1970s and 1980s; when communities were connected by the footprints of children. Including the rules for over 100 classic games requiring little more than the energy of youth and a ball; RetroActive takes a nostalgic look back at the art of coming together, making rules, picking “IT”, selecting teams and most importantly playing in the streets, courtyards, porches, sidewalks, and backyards of our neighborhoods. I hope that this book revives the magic of play. I hope that it makes getting healthy fun again.
With a playful heart and a sincere hope that children start playing again, the old-fashioned way!
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