Did you read that article about playgrounds being so safe that they are boring? The see-saws are gone, as are most swings, merry-go-rounds, or anything with moving parts. When my boys play on the playground, I usually catch them climbing on the Outside of the tube slides because it’s more manly.

This summer we tried to be really deliberate in our choices for the kids. We chose our vacation and summer activities with the idea that we wanted to provide adventure and opportunities for them to grow. In other words, we didn’t want a homogenized curvy-edged playground summer; we wanted an old fashioned teeter-totter-jungle gym-monkey bridge summer.

For Paige, this meant some time with grandparents on her own and a two week ballet camp where she lived in the dorms.

For Daniel, adventure meant a tennis camp around the corner and then 9 days with my parents on his own. Daniel kept a journal of his trip which he read to me. Wow. What a good, busy time.

Most of Timothy’s adventures involved rocks, water, and cousins. This kid loved riding the tube behind the wave runner and really improved his swimming skills.

And now we come to Mark, who found adventures aplenty.

As the summer activities come to an end, I reflect on the value of getting out of the desert so we could spend time outdoors, build relationships with extended family, and experience adventure and even risk to help us grow and develop. It has been a good summer for the Ross family.