Kids being kids

Tonight we took Kiddo to one of the PAC* "social nights" which is basically an excuse for the kids to be out of their uniforms and ramming around in the gymnasium. One of the first things the kids went for were the "scooter boards" (photo to the right) Here's where I get to look my age because these are totally a new thing for me as far as gym equipment goes.

As you can see, they look kind of like an oversize cutting board with casters on the bottom and handles on the sides. Well, without gym teachers and rules, the first thing the kids did was make themselves into real-life bowling balls, ramming themselves on the scooter boards into the large plastic pins. Next, they found hula hoops and skipping ropes. Before long, they were tying the boards together to make longer centipede like creations and winging each other around the room, because it's more fun when you make it dangerous! (As I was searching for these, I found that some models are made to interlock, presumably to offer a safer alternative to the DIY combos.)

At any rate, it was about 15 minutes before the first kid flew off and skinned their knees. Happily, since it was parents and not school administrators, no one overreacted, or put an end to things (well, I did tell Kiddo at one point not to tie the ropes to the board but instead to slip the rope through the handle); everyone pretty much just let their kids be kids. There were a few tears amid squeals of pure glee, bumped heads, parents who will be feeling a few aches in the morning, and near misses between different sets of kids being wung around in offset circles; from above I imagine the place looked like a Busby Berkely musical influenced by fractal theory.


Actually, it was pretty close to that at ground level.

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*(PAC = Parent Advisory Council -- the type of group that used to be known as the PTA -- Parent-Teacher-Association -- ... which reminds me of Harper Valley PTA and Barbara Eden. Weird that I remember that.)