Ahh, LilRose, EXcellent thread. Remember my definition of excellent. One I can contribute to. And so much better than kiling the critters. You do SO well with these threads and must lay awake nights thinking of them. You give opportunity for humor, seriousness, philosophy, wow.
Prime entertainment = Watching the DGI crowd suddenly "get it." You gotta admit, that's going to be real interesting. Next, dodging bullets, setting snares and traps (no, not for the poor critters), and learning to run, well, maybe sprint, would be a better word. O.k. that's supposed to be humorous, but, now, the philosophy.
My philosophy is never listened to, so I have an opportunity to share it and will never know that a person closes the thread in disgust, so I can just babble on. hee hee hee.
When the lights go out, along with t.v., computers, and games, the light will eventually come on in the minds of people who've been lulled by the talking wallpaper and endless flashing icons. That, in itself, will be supreme entertainment for the older crowd.
The younger group though, may be frightened, and have a sense of abandonment, unreality, frustration, identity crisis, and, in a sense, have the same feelings that an abandoned child must have. In fact, many of them will be abandoned children. Many have used the t.v., computer, electronic games, etc. to compensate for what they didn't have. A real live parent with time to spend with them, thoughts to share, things to teach them.
I agree with what Barry Natchitoches and others have said. Everyone makes valid points. But, though children will be doing more work, and may have less time for what we consider entertainment, with some forethought and understanding, it can be entertainment for them. The two can be combined.They will be doing things they've never done before, and many may find they like it more than what they've done in the past.
In addition to all the excellent suggestions of board games, card games, horseshoes, etc. activities that contribute to the home can be made fun. Children want to be needed and want to feel important. Christmas is such an important time for a child. Supposedly, because of the gifts. But look at what they really get at Christmas. Home cooked food. Time with family. The sights and smells. The joy of giving as well as getting. It will be important to meet as many of those needs as possible.
For a young child, a large container of cinnamon (bought at Sams club for around 3.00), a jar of applesauce, some popcorn and string will go a long way towards filling those needs. Cinnamon and applesauce mixed in equal portions and rolled out can be cut with cookie cutters, a jar lid, or whatever you have, and dried, to make beautiful, scented ornaments. Popcorn can be popped and strung for the tree that will no longer have electric lights. The contrasting white of the popcorn with the deep brown cinnamon ornaments will satisfy the senses of sight and smell. A hug and kind words satisfies the sense of hearing and touch. Finishing the leftover popcorn satisfies the sense of taste. In a child's world, it would go a long way to providing security.When the tree is finally taken outside, children will enjoy watching their feathered friends dine on the popcorn.
In spring and summer, items can be gathered from nature to make gifts.No gift offers as much love as one made by a child's hands with materials they've gathered themselves. And the same with parents. Have you ever made a cornhusk doll? It's so simple and you'd think they'd fall apart or be tossed aside, but every child I've ever given one has treasured it. They've played with them and kept them. Corn husks and some corn silk (for the dolls hair) should be dried and saved. They can later be soaked and made into dolls, or for boys, they can be made into little boats that will really float.
Children can gather cattail leaves and make place mats, floor mats, etc. by simply weaving the leaves and sewing around the borders. They are very attractive after some practice and they could make and put some away to save for special gifts. They can be used fresh, or dried and later soaked to make them pliable enough to use. The head of the cattail can be covered with lard, lit, (with supervison of course) and make a fine torch for them to use outside at night. The heads are full of a fluffy material that can be made into pillows. Little scraps of material can be filled with the down, sewn around the sides, and a drop of essential oil put on it to make a sachet for closets or drawers.
Children love to give, and can be taught good conservation by always leaving more than you take, replanting seeds from flowers, etc. Gathered from different places, a child could, with the help of some brush or a few sticks, gather enough to make a small tipi or fort that will be wind and rainproof. Leave a child with an imagination, a ditch bank, and a stand of cattails, and you will have a happy child for a long time. They'll learn that the leaves can make cordage, or stripped finer, can be made into a strong thread to finish off their woven mats.Can you imagine the joy of a child who has been listening to mom fret that she would sure like to have some good thread or string, but not want to use the limited amount she has, when he/she realizes he/she can give you that?
A foraging child can also discover the beauty of wild grape vines and how the vines can be made into baskets that can be quite useful. They can gather the leaves that can be used to wrap food in for preservation or to place food inside and rolled up for cooking. There are good plant identification books as well as a card game that uses plant identification and uses that would be good to have on hand. While children are foraging, the flowers they bring can be dried for potpourri, salves or linaments.
Instead of getting praise for reaching the next level in the video game, a child can be praised for their resourcefulness and conservation. They can be taught to use, reuse, and learn the sayings some of us heard from our grandmas. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." They will be entertained knowing that paper can be used to color, draw, paint, make dolls, folded in unusual shapes, make airplanes, and when all that is over, it can be put in the bin to recycle to make more paper. Paper isn't hard to make if you have something to start with. It's time consuming, but children love making it. Research it now and learn how.
The coffee cans we now use and toss will be looked at with different eyes. The coffee can turned upside down with the plastic on the bottom and a couple holes drilled near the top with a rope or strong string through it can be a fine pair of stilts. Little pieces of wood can be made into blocks.
A fly swatter dipped into a solution of 1 part dish detergent, 10 parts water, and .25 parts glycerin or karo syrup makes some fine bubbles.
Some of those berries, leaves, bark, that have been gathered can be used for coloring for the play doh that you can make by
mixing 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Cooked for 3 min. over low head and stored in a container, it will last quite a while.
Plain old rope makes a jump rope, a swing, a lasso, and a piece of string will fly a homemade kite, or tie the neck and arms of
a sock doll, or a rag doll. A piece of cotton string, tightly braided can be dipped into paraffin or wax to make candles.
Invest in a bag of balloons and dole them out one at a time, once in a while. They make a fine indoor game of ball, especially for younger children who aren't yet able to catch a ball, or are afraid of being hit by the ball. To play a game of who can keep the balloon in the air the longest by hitting it upwards before it touches the floor can be enjoyed by all. To put adults and children on a level playing field, the adult may only use one hand. To make it more fun, the right handed adult can use only the left hand to keep it in the air, etc.
When the balloon pops, gather the pieces. It can be stretched over an empty tuna can that has been filled with lightweight pebbles, rice, beans, or seeds gathered by your young forager. It then becomes a mini bongo/drum. With some string or stick attached, it's a fine shaker that even the youngest can join in the home musical entertainment.
The best entertainment a parent might offer their child would be the gift of storytelling. Knowing or learning how to capture a child's interest, use pitch and expression, some props, and you can address the childs fears, offer reassurance or prepare them for what you suspect lies ahead.
A good example would be "One night, just as Sally was slipping her beautiful, silky gown over her head, the lights went out. It was dark. Very dark. Sally was afraid of the dark. She searched for her monster spray." At this point, you produce a small spray bottle of water, scented with some perfume, essential oil, etc. and give a little mist.
With fearful children old enough to realize the monster spray isn't going to chase away a monster, they find it hilarious while assuring them that it's o.k. to be afraid, and there are ways of dealing with fear. For the younger child who thinks the spray would work, save it for the monsters.
Storytelling is a powerful tool that goes a long way toward reassuring a child. It's one of the best forms of entertainment for a child and is limited only by your imagination. It can be useful for teaching behavior that is hard to enforce when it may become vital for suvival. For example, being quiet.
The time may come when it's vey important for a child to be quiet. Make up a story about a deer and lead up to the deer, before he takes off, lifts his tail in the air. Raise two fingers and wiggle them to illustrate the deer tail. Then, take them on a nature walk and when you see something you want to share, you won't say it with words, you will lift your two fingers and wiggle them. That means they must be very quiet, and notice things, and not say a word until you tell them it's o.k. Keep the time short at first and praise when they do it. The time can be increased, and can be used at home when they interrupt, or just as a game. They'll end up using it on you too, and when they do, be an example.
The ideas for entertainment are limited only by your imagination too. It doesn't have to be something purchased, and the time may come when we aren't able to purchase or are not in a postion to carry an excess of entertainment for children. A little thought beforehand will help the most vulnerable get through what may be tough times ahead.
For parents, maybe the best entertainment will come from watching their children grow, thrive, and become self sufficient and not dependent on instant gratification. And the silence and peace as they sit around the lamp light or campfire. After they've dragged away the victim that tried to creep up on them in the dark.
Sorry it kinda dragged on forever LilRose, but it could have gone on a lot more. Your fault. It's a good thread.
