50 Dangerous Things:

Myles playing in a hail storm: Dangerous Activity 02

Last year's resolution was to complete the activities in the book titled 50 Dangerous Things (you should let your kids do) by Gever Tulley.  Well, that didn't happen, but I did document most of what we did.  And there were several things we have already done or do as a part of life.  This post is a conclusion to the specific goal I had with my kids last year, but not the end of doing dangerous things.  It's pretty cute ... our children's expressions of their activities frequently sounds like this, "Look!  I'm doing a dangerous thing!", for example, as they stand and roll on a 5-gallon bucket on it's side while holding on to the wall.  So, here's the quick on the things we've done but didn't document last year.

03 - Master the Perfect Somersault: We signed the kids up for gymnastics as a Christmas gift and they are learning more about how to move their bodies.  

08 - Throw a Spear:  I think this is somewhat done with the kid-javelin when the kids participate in "kids track" that our high school sponsors every spring.  I know we had pictures, but I can't find them.

11 - Throw Rocks:  This is done nearly every time we go over to the Columbia River a few minutes away from our home.

14 - Put Strange Stuff in the Microwave:  Cedar wanted to put a slice of bread in the microwave to "cook" it. We watched it burst into flames.

16 - Drop from High Places:  They jump from the top bunk to the futon bed.  They jump from the trampoline down to the lawn.  It's not that high, but most trampolines these days come with safety nets which would prevent that from happening.  Our trampoline's pads got blown away with the crazy wind we have here within a year of setting it up, so I suppose it's a dangerous trampoline.  When we go to the coast they like to jump down cliffs of sand.

18 - Walk Home from School:  Ethan and Myles have been doing this since first grade.  This isn't a huge deal because we live between 2 and 3 blocks from the school.  However, very few kids from our neighborhood walk alone to school.  The parent walks them or they drive.

23 - Break Glass:  This has happened in kitchen several times.  Unintentionally, nevertheless it has been done. :-)

26 - Lean Dramatic Sword Fighting:  We try to encourage stick sword fighting, but our kids have never really wanted to.  It occurred in the mountains camping at a lake.  They of course weren't wearing any protective gear, just swimming suits.  They learned not to hit the other's hand real quickly.

28 - Climb a Tree:  There really aren't many trees where we live, let alone ones that can be climbed.  That said, Ethan has managed to find one or two he can climb on school grounds, when school is not in session of course.

29 - Perform on the Street:  I have a scenario in my head where we go to the Portland Saturday Market and allow our kids to busk by the river.  I think Myles should play his violin and Ethan should make balloon animals.  Not too long ago we went to Portland and saw someone busking in front of the Pioneer mall entrance.  He was covered in silver gray clothing and he painted his face to match.  He was as still as a statue until Ethan put a dollar in his jar.  He shook Ethan's hand then began his act.  He manipulated up to four glass balls at the same time.  It was rather mesmerizing and now the kids have a schema of what performing on the street looks like.

30 - Dam up a Creek:  Since we don't have creeks nearby the boys have created their own in the backyard many times.  They love to put on their swimsuits, go outside, turn on the hose, and make a fabulous mess in the mud.

37 - Fly Your Homemade Kite in a Gale:  This had been several times and I know we have pictures, I just can't find them.

41 - Cross Town on Public Transit:  This has been done on a few occasions when we go to Portland.  Also, Corvallis has a free holiday trolley we have taken advantage of in the past.  The kids love it!

42 - Break the Recipe Rule:  Ethan did this when he broke his leg last year.  The wheat berries gave it a nice crunch and it was disgusting.  :-)

45 - Play with Fire:  They get to play with fire anytime we build a fire in the backyard for a hot dog and s'mores roast.  And when we go camping the fire always gets a lot of attention.

49 - Sleep in the Wild:  We have slept on the trampoline a few times and whenever we go camping or backpacking we sleep out in the wild.  Yes, in a tent, but that's to protect us from mosquitoes and the weather.  I know the goal is to sleep without walls, but usually that's just not practical in Oregon.  :-)

50 - Your Project:  we have done various things on our own that aren't in the book that I have already blogged about.  I found a picture of the boys in a fort they built from wood pallets, scraps of wood, blankets, and a folding table.  It wasn't elevated like I've seen them do at Tinkering School, but it was neat to watch them create it just so they could watch a little movie.

So, there you have it.  I made it closer the finishing all 50 dangerous activities than I thought.