Mud and Kids, Week #1
When you think of mud and kids, one thought should come to mind immediately – – mud pies! Remember those? Mud pies are what kids invent when they’re playing with dirt and add a little water. Voila! An instant mess and hours of enjoyment with a simple outdoors game. If we’re associating mud pies with games that kids play outdoors, as per this month’s creative brainstorming “association of related concepts” strategy, your job is to describe five old-fashioned games that kids play outside.
Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts
Admittedly, I was never much of an outdoor person, always preferring to play with dolls or books or my play kitchen inside. Really, any indoor activity was better than being outside. I had nothing against being outside, it’s just that I derived so much pleasure from indoor projects instead. I can still remember, though, the mud pies I made one time with a friend. What possessed me to make mud pies, I’ll never remember, but I distinctly remember being grossed out with the dirt underneath my nails and the general mess of it all.
I also tried my hand at softball, soccer, croquet, and gardening, but nothing shocked my family more than when I decided to lie in our hammock. Our hammock was strung between two tall trees. The action of swaying back and forth in relaxation mode was simple enough, but I always had to compete with the flies or the acorns that fell on my head or the pollen on the hammock itself. There was always some aspect of nature that intruded upon my full-blown relaxation outdoors, so I stopped! To this day, I’m still not much of an outdoors person, but I voluntarily submit myself to the elements for the sake of my girls.
Creative Brainstorming Tips
On Monday, I provided a definition of creative brainstorming. Now is time to provide a tip.
Become good friends with different search engines on the Internet. They do not all yield the same information! Be grateful for the little window that pops up and offers suggestions on searches based on keyword entries. It is great!
Helpful Resources
“Most people don’t want 290 search engines, especially people who are internet beginners. Most users want a single search engine that delivers three key features…” – Paul Gill, for About.com “Knowing the basics of common Web search terms can help you make your Web search time a bit more productive – and thankfully, they’re really not that difficult to learn.” – Wendy Boswell, for About.com
Writing Prompt 051
Prompt: Describe five old-fashioned games that kids play outside.
- Step 1: Think about old-fashioned games that kids used to play outside and games that kids play today. Are there any similarities? Differences? Has anything changed?
- Step 2: Think about the reasons why the kids of today might want to play outside. Are there any national programs in place to encourage kids to play outside?
- Step 3: Think about the reality of today’s kids and their luxuries and technology. Figure out what things may affect a child’s decision to play outside. Write a thorough description.
Please be sure to leave comments about this writing prompt. We want to hear from you!
About the Author
Amanda M. Socci, J.D., is a freelance writer with 14 years of experience writing professionally. Socci currently cuts her blogging chops on her personal portfolio blog, the Creative Idea Gal blog, and on an online news site, Mount Vernon Patch. Inspired by Nina Amir’s Write Nonfiction in November writing challenge, she created a unique 10-month training program for Writenonfictionnow.com and Writenonfictioninnovember.com blog visitors.
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