Cyprus-Forum.com

[denizaksulu]

Haha I love this thread
Like Grump as a kid I along with my buddies would play outside till dark, in the summer holidays we would literally camp out in the gardens and couldnt get enough of the great outdoors.
I would only go in doors to eat and visit the w.c!!
We were never board unlike kids these days with practically no sense of adventure and what on earth has happened to their creativity for we would make so many games up using our imaginations.
We would play a brilliant games like POLO, kick post (also known as man hunt), we would play skipping, not like today I mean we would have 10 kids each end of a legnth of rope big enough for the entire street and skip till the cows came home!!
If we didnt play these games we would make dens up trees and steal our mums bed sheets and make tents!!!
Awesome fun and a brilliant childhood!!
Its sad to hear the kids today fighting andsimply not doing these things.
My young children are taking after me and love to be outside, they are lucky they have 3 acres to play in with countryside, and like how i was they will play for hours in the garden making houses for fairy's out of leaves and moss, its great
Bring back the old times

Welcome to the 'Geriatrics Remembering Club'. We lack members of the gentler gender.

Well deniz when I was typing out my post and thinking about all the things I did as a child, it seems like such a long time ago and yes has made me feel on the old side so thank you very much for your warm welcome

Thank you for not taking it the wrong way. I know you are younger than the rest of us..................................just

[pretty-as-pink]

Just
Me in my early thirties
I think getting on a bit so I cant remember

[denizaksulu]

Just
Me in my early thirties
I think getting on a bit so I cant remember

[supporttheunderdog]

Ah, Nostalgia, sadly even that is not what it used to be....

I too grew up in the days before video games or 24 hr telly - I can remember the " do not forget to Turn off your set" followed by the Nationakl Anthem at 11.30 or so...out on the bike, in the park till dark, (being chased out by the parkey) now the fields where I used to play are a housing estate....

[cyprusgrump]

Just posted a video on Youtube of my new ball game.

This one will definitely get the kids off the computer and out to the yard.

No it won't...

I tested this game in Canada(Toronto) and the Dom Rep. Meant for kids, the game went on pretty well till teens & guys in their 20's jointed in. They played into the late afternoon and quit at nightfall. All the players asked to play again tomorrow... some of them asked me to make a game board for them to continue playing in the future.

Footnote. The "older" players actually tried to "hurt" the others by throwing the ball very hard which made the players run faster to avoid the hit. Typical behaviour I might add.

I took a course in computer languages back in 1981. COBOL, RPG, assembler, basic compiler etc... literally dealing with bits... used punch cards to run programs... really old stuff.

We always played outside when I was a kid - games such as this or 'cricket' with a bit of old wood, a tennis ball and stumps painted on a wall. Seemed like if we had a ball of some sort, or even if we didn't we could amuse ourselves... Perhaps it was because there was never anything on the telly except for the 'test card'...

Nowadays it seems that sports shops are packed with every type of bat, racket and club. Kids are decked out in the most amazingly expensive football shirts and clearly money isn't an issue for the purchase of sports equipment.

Yet they prefer for whatever reason to spend their time in front of a TV screen or computer console.

I'm not sure why it is so but I don't believe the revelation of your 'new' game will bring thousands of kids back outside to play.

This game might be one of many out there to entice kids for outdoor activity. Child obesity is now at alarming levels.

Another game is 'Lingri'. Did you hear about it?

No, I don't know Lingri...

As PAP says, we used to make up all sorts of games - many without props or equipment...

My point is that the kids don't need a new game to entice them outside - they already have plenty of games, plenty of imagination...

The whole mindset needs to change.

Our governments and the media need to stop the scare stories that would have us believe that a paedophile lurks behind every tree and every adult is a potential child killer or terrorist...

The UK (I can only talk for the UK) has gone to extraordinary lengths to 'protect the cheeeeldren' - you have to have a certificate proving you are not a paedophile to walk your neighbour's kid to school - and in doing so has produced a fear among parents that believe their kids will only be safe at home in front of the telly...

You need to break this culture of fear before kids and parents will see outdoor activities as viable, safe alternatives to the TV and games console.

[georgios100]

Just posted a video on Youtube of my new ball game.

This one will definitely get the kids off the computer and out to the yard.

No it won't...

I tested this game in Canada(Toronto) and the Dom Rep. Meant for kids, the game went on pretty well till teens & guys in their 20's jointed in. They played into the late afternoon and quit at nightfall. All the players asked to play again tomorrow... some of them asked me to make a game board for them to continue playing in the future.

Footnote. The "older" players actually tried to "hurt" the others by throwing the ball very hard which made the players run faster to avoid the hit. Typical behaviour I might add.

I took a course in computer languages back in 1981. COBOL, RPG, assembler, basic compiler etc... literally dealing with bits... used punch cards to run programs... really old stuff.

We always played outside when I was a kid - games such as this or 'cricket' with a bit of old wood, a tennis ball and stumps painted on a wall. Seemed like if we had a ball of some sort, or even if we didn't we could amuse ourselves... Perhaps it was because there was never anything on the telly except for the 'test card'...

Nowadays it seems that sports shops are packed with every type of bat, racket and club. Kids are decked out in the most amazingly expensive football shirts and clearly money isn't an issue for the purchase of sports equipment.

Yet they prefer for whatever reason to spend their time in front of a TV screen or computer console.

I'm not sure why it is so but I don't believe the revelation of your 'new' game will bring thousands of kids back outside to play.

This game might be one of many out there to entice kids for outdoor activity. Child obesity is now at alarming levels.

Another game is 'Lingri'. Did you hear about it?

No, I don't know Lingri...

As PAP says, we used to make up all sorts of games - many without props or equipment...

My point is that the kids don't need a new game to entice them outside - they already have plenty of games, plenty of imagination...

The whole mindset needs to change.

Our governments and the media need to stop the scare stories that would have us believe that a paedophile lurks behind every tree and every adult is a potential child killer or terrorist...

The UK (I can only talk for the UK) has gone to extraordinary lengths to 'protect the cheeeeldren' - you have to have a certificate proving you are not a paedophile to walk your neighbour's kid to school - and in doing so has produced a fear among parents that believe their kids will only be safe at home in front of the telly...

You need to break this culture of fear before kids and parents will see outdoor activities as viable, safe alternatives to the TV and games console.

Excellent posting Grump.

You are right that TV, internet etc planted fears in parents heads about their kids being targeted while playing outdoors by all kinds of "bad seeds". Great input, point well made, thanks.

I was down in Cyprus for the last 2 weeks, back in Toronto now. While there, I took 6 of my nephews (boys & girls) for an outing to collect mushrooms, snails & agrellia in the Alethrico hills (Larnaca outskirts). The kids were so excited that demanded another excursion for the next day. All of them confessed their parents never took them out in the countryside before... Lesson learned = Who is to blame for kids locked into the house, staring on PC screens? Perhaps some of the blame should be shouldered by the adults...

I am now the "cool" uncle" in the face of the kids, got a goodbye card from them which reads - Sorry you are leaving (back to Canada), thanks for the "field tour".

[denizaksulu]

Just posted a video on Youtube of my new ball game.

This one will definitely get the kids off the computer and out to the yard.

No it won't...

I tested this game in Canada(Toronto) and the Dom Rep. Meant for kids, the game went on pretty well till teens & guys in their 20's jointed in. They played into the late afternoon and quit at nightfall. All the players asked to play again tomorrow... some of them asked me to make a game board for them to continue playing in the future.

Footnote. The "older" players actually tried to "hurt" the others by throwing the ball very hard which made the players run faster to avoid the hit. Typical behaviour I might add.

I took a course in computer languages back in 1981. COBOL, RPG, assembler, basic compiler etc... literally dealing with bits... used punch cards to run programs... really old stuff.

We always played outside when I was a kid - games such as this or 'cricket' with a bit of old wood, a tennis ball and stumps painted on a wall. Seemed like if we had a ball of some sort, or even if we didn't we could amuse ourselves... Perhaps it was because there was never anything on the telly except for the 'test card'...

Nowadays it seems that sports shops are packed with every type of bat, racket and club. Kids are decked out in the most amazingly expensive football shirts and clearly money isn't an issue for the purchase of sports equipment.

Yet they prefer for whatever reason to spend their time in front of a TV screen or computer console.

I'm not sure why it is so but I don't believe the revelation of your 'new' game will bring thousands of kids back outside to play.

This game might be one of many out there to entice kids for outdoor activity. Child obesity is now at alarming levels.

Another game is 'Lingri'. Did you hear about it?

No, I don't know Lingri...

As PAP says, we used to make up all sorts of games - many without props or equipment...

My point is that the kids don't need a new game to entice them outside - they already have plenty of games, plenty of imagination...

The whole mindset needs to change.

Our governments and the media need to stop the scare stories that would have us believe that a paedophile lurks behind every tree and every adult is a potential child killer or terrorist...

The UK (I can only talk for the UK) has gone to extraordinary lengths to 'protect the cheeeeldren' - you have to have a certificate proving you are not a paedophile to walk your neighbour's kid to school - and in doing so has produced a fear among parents that believe their kids will only be safe at home in front of the telly...

You need to break this culture of fear before kids and parents will see outdoor activities as viable, safe alternatives to the TV and games console.

Excellent posting Grump.

You are right that TV, internet etc planted fears in parents heads about their kids being targeted while playing outdoors by all kinds of "bad seeds". Great input, point well made, thanks.

I was down in Cyprus for the last 2 weeks, back in Toronto now. While there, I took 6 of my nephews (boys & girls) for an outing to collect mushrooms, snails & agrellia in the Alethrico hills (Larnaca outskirts). The kids were so excited that demanded another excursion for the next day. All of them confessed their parents never took them out in the countryside before... Lesson learned = Who is to blame for kids locked into the house, staring on PC screens? Perhaps some of the blame should be shouldered by the adults...

I am now the "cool" uncle" in the face of the kids, got a goodbye card from them which reads - Sorry you are leaving (back to Canada), thanks for the "field tour".

There used to be lovely mushrooms in the arkadgi/canes/valleys in the south of Alethriko. We used to walk up there from Kivisili.(more relatives there too.)

[georgios100]

Just posted a video on Youtube of my new ball game.

This one will definitely get the kids off the computer and out to the yard.

No it won't...

I tested this game in Canada(Toronto) and the Dom Rep. Meant for kids, the game went on pretty well till teens & guys in their 20's jointed in. They played into the late afternoon and quit at nightfall. All the players asked to play again tomorrow... some of them asked me to make a game board for them to continue playing in the future.

Footnote. The "older" players actually tried to "hurt" the others by throwing the ball very hard which made the players run faster to avoid the hit. Typical behaviour I might add.

I took a course in computer languages back in 1981. COBOL, RPG, assembler, basic compiler etc... literally dealing with bits... used punch cards to run programs... really old stuff.

We always played outside when I was a kid - games such as this or 'cricket' with a bit of old wood, a tennis ball and stumps painted on a wall. Seemed like if we had a ball of some sort, or even if we didn't we could amuse ourselves... Perhaps it was because there was never anything on the telly except for the 'test card'...

Nowadays it seems that sports shops are packed with every type of bat, racket and club. Kids are decked out in the most amazingly expensive football shirts and clearly money isn't an issue for the purchase of sports equipment.

Yet they prefer for whatever reason to spend their time in front of a TV screen or computer console.

I'm not sure why it is so but I don't believe the revelation of your 'new' game will bring thousands of kids back outside to play.

This game might be one of many out there to entice kids for outdoor activity. Child obesity is now at alarming levels.

Another game is 'Lingri'. Did you hear about it?

No, I don't know Lingri...

As PAP says, we used to make up all sorts of games - many without props or equipment...

My point is that the kids don't need a new game to entice them outside - they already have plenty of games, plenty of imagination...

The whole mindset needs to change.

Our governments and the media need to stop the scare stories that would have us believe that a paedophile lurks behind every tree and every adult is a potential child killer or terrorist...

The UK (I can only talk for the UK) has gone to extraordinary lengths to 'protect the cheeeeldren' - you have to have a certificate proving you are not a paedophile to walk your neighbour's kid to school - and in doing so has produced a fear among parents that believe their kids will only be safe at home in front of the telly...

You need to break this culture of fear before kids and parents will see outdoor activities as viable, safe alternatives to the TV and games console.

Excellent posting Grump.

You are right that TV, internet etc planted fears in parents heads about their kids being targeted while playing outdoors by all kinds of "bad seeds". Great input, point well made, thanks.

I was down in Cyprus for the last 2 weeks, back in Toronto now. While there, I took 6 of my nephews (boys & girls) for an outing to collect mushrooms, snails & agrellia in the Alethrico hills (Larnaca outskirts). The kids were so excited that demanded another excursion for the next day. All of them confessed their parents never took them out in the countryside before... Lesson learned = Who is to blame for kids locked into the house, staring on PC screens? Perhaps some of the blame should be shouldered by the adults...

I am now the "cool" uncle" in the face of the kids, got a goodbye card from them which reads - Sorry you are leaving (back to Canada), thanks for the "field tour".

There used to be lovely mushrooms in the arkadgi/canes/valleys in the south of Alethriko. We used to walk up there from Kivisili.(more relatives there too.)

We were actually closer to the foothills of Stavrovouni. My older brother, Kostas, maintains a small farm there, full of fruit trees, olive trees and 2 dozen chicken roaming around. The farm is fenced but once in a while a chicken would go missing... Kostas is blaming a local fox regularly "dining" on his chicken stock.

Only a few mushrooms were picked during our outing with the kids... really February is an "off" season. Mushrooms pop up at the protovroxia days... late fall i would say.

[georgios100]

Haha I love this thread
Like Grump as a kid I along with my buddies would play outside till dark, in the summer holidays we would literally camp out in the gardens and couldnt get enough of the great outdoors.
I would only go in doors to eat and visit the w.c!!
We were never board unlike kids these days with practically no sense of adventure and what on earth has happened to their creativity for we would make so many games up using our imaginations.
We would play a brilliant games like POLO, kick post (also known as man hunt), we would play skipping, not like today I mean we would have 10 kids each end of a legnth of rope big enough for the entire street and skip till the cows came home!!
If we didnt play these games we would make dens up trees and steal our mums bed sheets and make tents!!!
Awesome fun and a brilliant childhood!!
Its sad to hear the kids today fighting andsimply not doing these things.
My young children are taking after me and love to be outside, they are lucky they have 3 acres to play in with countryside, and like how i was they will play for hours in the garden making houses for fairy's out of leaves and moss, its great
Bring back the old times

I too had lots of fun playing outdoors utilizing what ever I could find like wood sticks, stones etc. Really, these old games are low, low tech.

That being said, I did submit the holes video of this thread to a couple of toy-game manufacturers for promotional reasons... rejected outright. Reason = low tech game! Nowadays, toys or games must involve high tech stuff like lazer beams, flashing lights, vibrant colors and/or internet connected capabilities... a sad story & real luck of vision... but you now what? Toy/game manufacturers are all about money so high tech games "sell' much better than low tech... go figure.

[cyprusgrump]

Just posted a video on Youtube of my new ball game.

This one will definitely get the kids off the computer and out to the yard.

No it won't...

I tested this game in Canada(Toronto) and the Dom Rep. Meant for kids, the game went on pretty well till teens & guys in their 20's jointed in. They played into the late afternoon and quit at nightfall. All the players asked to play again tomorrow... some of them asked me to make a game board for them to continue playing in the future.

Footnote. The "older" players actually tried to "hurt" the others by throwing the ball very hard which made the players run faster to avoid the hit. Typical behaviour I might add.

I took a course in computer languages back in 1981. COBOL, RPG, assembler, basic compiler etc... literally dealing with bits... used punch cards to run programs... really old stuff.

We always played outside when I was a kid - games such as this or 'cricket' with a bit of old wood, a tennis ball and stumps painted on a wall. Seemed like if we had a ball of some sort, or even if we didn't we could amuse ourselves... Perhaps it was because there was never anything on the telly except for the 'test card'...

Nowadays it seems that sports shops are packed with every type of bat, racket and club. Kids are decked out in the most amazingly expensive football shirts and clearly money isn't an issue for the purchase of sports equipment.

Yet they prefer for whatever reason to spend their time in front of a TV screen or computer console.

I'm not sure why it is so but I don't believe the revelation of your 'new' game will bring thousands of kids back outside to play.

This game might be one of many out there to entice kids for outdoor activity. Child obesity is now at alarming levels.

Another game is 'Lingri'. Did you hear about it?

No, I don't know Lingri...

As PAP says, we used to make up all sorts of games - many without props or equipment...

My point is that the kids don't need a new game to entice them outside - they already have plenty of games, plenty of imagination...

The whole mindset needs to change.

Our governments and the media need to stop the scare stories that would have us believe that a paedophile lurks behind every tree and every adult is a potential child killer or terrorist...

The UK (I can only talk for the UK) has gone to extraordinary lengths to 'protect the cheeeeldren' - you have to have a certificate proving you are not a paedophile to walk your neighbour's kid to school - and in doing so has produced a fear among parents that believe their kids will only be safe at home in front of the telly...

You need to break this culture of fear before kids and parents will see outdoor activities as viable, safe alternatives to the TV and games console.

Excellent posting Grump.

You are right that TV, internet etc planted fears in parents heads about their kids being targeted while playing outdoors by all kinds of "bad seeds". Great input, point well made, thanks.

I was down in Cyprus for the last 2 weeks, back in Toronto now. While there, I took 6 of my nephews (boys & girls) for an outing to collect mushrooms, snails & agrellia in the Alethrico hills (Larnaca outskirts). The kids were so excited that demanded another excursion for the next day. All of them confessed their parents never took them out in the countryside before... Lesson learned = Who is to blame for kids locked into the house, staring on PC screens? Perhaps some of the blame should be shouldered by the adults...

I am now the "cool" uncle" in the face of the kids, got a goodbye card from them which reads - Sorry you are leaving (back to Canada), thanks for the "field tour".

I was reading a favourite blog of mine this morning and came up with this: -

More reasons - they don't play outside any more because if Gary Glitter's Gang doesn't get them, they might get knifed, shot, force-fed by burger shops, dragged into seedy drug dens or smoked at. Parents are too scared to let them outside. They stay in, they get computer games and TVs of their own, they get fat and they get lazy and they get rickets. Kids are well equipped to burn off any calories they consume but they are not allowed to - and no co-ordinator will ever fix that. It would take a government with the sense to say 'Well, yes, there are nasty people in the world, but not really all that many so you don't have to be permanently terrified' and 'You know, maybe it would be a good idea to actually lock some of the nastiest ones away instead of giving them a stern talking-to and sending them home'.

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