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Posted Dec. 30, 2023
Don’t Talk Back!
Teachers say it, I’ve said it, you’ve probably said it. There are times when kids are
just plain annoying. Why – Why – Why? Stop a minute and analyze what is really going
on. Maybe these antics, these “games” aren’t meant to drive you crazy, but are really
pleas for your attention. Maybe the “talking back” is because you haven’t seen their
perspective. It’s easy to say “Because I told you so.” Did that really help the
situation? That was just frustration talking.
Put your hand up to signal “STOP”. Take
a deep breath, a pause. Ask your kids what they really need, want, disagree with.
Listening isn’t giving in, it’s caring. Maybe they need your attention. They don’t
have a reason, they just want YOU......
Posted Dec. 24, 2023
Hope - The Goat
I was out in the pasture enjoying a beautiful spring day. The shepherds were
watching us goats and the sheep. Snowball, my sheep friend was munching on the
scrumptious spring grass while I was running and jumping around the field sampling
the buds and new twigs on the trees and brush. I stopped occasionally and looked
down on the village below. I had never seen so many people in the streets. I knew
the locals because they knew my name and regularly came over to stroke my neck.
Loved that.
But what I was seeing wasn’t the locals. My shepherds were watching the crowded
streets too. As they were eating their lunch, I over heard them talking about the
government wanting to count the people and everyone was required to return to the
town they were born in for this count. I guess it was kind of like the shepherds
counting us
goats and sheep at the end of the day to make sure.....
Posted Dec. 17, 2023
Story Reader or StoryTeller
Tell Me a Story!
We have probably all read a story to our kids, usually after dinner or bedtime.
There are so many colorful books available for kids. If you’re not reading to your kids
(even older ones), you’re missing a great family bonding event. It should happen regularly,
even daily. And it shouldn’t be just Mom. It should include Dad and even an older brother
or sister.
My focus this week is going past the words on the page. Unless you are a
very quick wit,
you should first.....
Posted Dec. 9, 2023
Talking to Puppets
As a professional toy-maker, I have dozens of books on all kinds of toys, classic, educational,
antique and more. Most toy ideas I reject. They may be beautiful, but I evaluate toys on their
longevity in the mind of a child. If I am going to spend an hour or two making a toy, I want it
to be a toy a child keeps coming back to.
It should be a toy that inspires imagination, a toy he
wants to share with his friends. It should be a toy that will engage for hours, and inspire in a
different way each time they pick it up. That is a really tall requirement list.
I asked my daughter what was her favorite toy growing up? A puppet. I was stunned. Why? He was
my buddy, someone to discuss my
day with, my best friend, someone to snuggle with.....
Posted Dec. 1, 2023
Let’s Bake Some Math
Most families spend some time in December baking special treats, often cookies.
There is something magical, scientific about adding different ingredients together,
applying the right amount of heat for the right length of time. And then the best
part, you get to eat your magic or science project.
Although you could get into the details of what each ingredient does (great
research for older kids), lets focus on the math. Take a measuring cup and fill
it to the 8 oz. line. Pour the water into a tall narrow glass. Fill up the 8 oz.
cup again and pour it into a short, fat glass. Ask them which is bigger? You will
probably be surprised when they say.....
Posted Nov. 26, 2023
Stumbling Over Words
We can probably all agree that learning how to read is incredibly important. It may be
perhaps one of the most essential skills to be mastered for a successful life. But in our digital
culture, the idea of actually reading can be lost or even hidden. With YouTube, TikTok,
Netflix, etc...., our world is saturated with visuals. I’m not against that because I know
our brains store info in pictures. If you think back to a special event in your life, images
pop up,
not a written story about the event.....
Posted Nov. 17, 2023
Do You Emote?
As I build and maintain Discovery Park each day, I can usually tell what is going on with
passive listening. I hear the zip-lines singing, the happy squeals on the wobbly merry-go-round
and the sounds of a train race or when a train car goes off the track. When I hear crying, I
can tell if it’s anger, frustration or pain. I listen to the kids splashing and laughing in
the lagoon.... it’s so satisfying.
Kids emote! They don’t realize it, they just do. Emote is
typically considered an exaggerated display of.....
Posted Nov. 11, 2023
Homemade Christmas
Last newsletter we discussed the yearly pressure of Christmas presents. This week
is focused on ideas that will draw your family together with memories your kids will
cherish. Christmas should be a season – not a single day. Creating an atmosphere of
giving, joy and beauty is the focus. Finding depth in why we even have “Christmas”
should also be high on the list.....
Posted Nov. 5, 2023
The Next New Toy
Halloween is over. The ads for this year’s best toys for under the Christmas tree are
already in full swing. Forget Thanksgiving – it’s not a big moneymaker. The kids are
making their list and checking it twice. The begging has already started. If your kids
are creative, they’ll be asking you if you think Santa will
fulfill their ultimate toy list....
Posted Oct 28, 2023
Spoken from the Heart
Stories are told and tidbits of life come at us all the time – just like this one.
I have one story I think about regularly. This is my recollection of that story.
“A man dies and is an organ donor. His heart is placed in another man who desperately
needs a transplant. The first man’s wife is now widowed.
After several years, she
finds out who got her husbands heart and sets up a time to meet him and see how the
heart has been working out in his life. He tells her that it completely changed his
life – to the point that his wife divorced him claiming he was no longer the man she
had fallen in love with.
As they talked, the widow
felt a connection to the....
Posted Oct 20, 2023
Take the Green Pill
It’s not your fault, but it is your problem. Researchers say kids spend an average of 30
hours each week watching TV or computer screens. As a consequence, childhood obesity has
skyrocketed. The sedimentary nature plus all the junk food is slowly killing the ones you
love. It’s not just weight, but cardiovascular disease, stress, sleep issues and more.
Kids desperately need unstructured, imaginative, exploratory play. Yes, you have them
involved in soccer, baseball, football, ballet, etc...
baseball, football, ballet, etc....
Posted Oct 10, 2023
Tender Hearts and Minds
Childhood is magical. Christmas has always been considered the biggest holiday of the year.
However, Halloween has now become a close second. For retailers, this is a huge help to their
bottom line to have a second season of big buying.
If your family does “Halloween”, please keep in mind that your young ones have very
impressionable minds. So much of the holiday
has taken such a dark turn.....
Posted Oct 1, 2023
Stop - Stop - Stop
Childhood is magical. Things happen everyday that you can’t explain.... yet. Fall is one of those times.
Think back to your childhood and the wonder of the fall leaves changing colors and then falling to the
ground. Millions of pounds of leaves in glorious colors that finally take their final flutter to the
earth.
You’ve watched it happen every year, but it is all new and fascinating to your kids. Sure, they
saw it happen last year, but their understanding of the
world has changed a lot....
Posted Sept 21, 2023
I Had a Dream
Several times a week I have a powerful dream. I lay awake thinking about what God is trying to
tell me as the sky starts to brighten.
Last night’s dream had me sitting with a High School
teacher and about a dozen juniors and seniors. We were sitting on the ground discussing test
scores – ACT, SAT, Grade point averages, Class ranking, etc.
I told the students “none of these
matter”!
Some were angry,....
Posted Sept 18, 2023
Trip to Nowhere
The leaves are about to explode in color. Every year is different depending on the ground moisture,
amount of sunshine and temperature. Some years it is spectacular and sometimes a dud. You have seen
it every year but.... it is all new and wonderous for kids!
It’s hard to explain how all the leaf colors
have been in the leaf all summer, but was masked by the green chlorophyll. This deserves a rather
extensive investigation with
with lots of research....
Posted Sept 10, 2023
Overcoming Procrastination
Dad used to say – “do the hardest thing first!” I hated that idea. Let me enjoy the easy
stuff – feel successful! His approach was to push through the hard and everything else will seem
easy. Sounds good – I’ll do it the next time.
Life is pulling us so many ways it’s hard to stay focused. Work – kids – chores – meals
– marriage.... do I even have time to
read this newsletter?....
Posted Sept 2, 2023
Floating Through Life
Do you remember what you had for dinner two nights ago? Do you remember what
you did last Friday night? Life is slipping by, often out of our grasp. We lived it,
but have we captured it? Maybe it wasn’t worth capturing, but that’s another story.
How about starting a new passion? Try to capture the moments of our life
before they flee away. Grab a rope and let’s go after them. As the day winds down,
a quiet time helps your body slow and prepare for sleep. Turn off the mindless screens
and take the time to reflect on your day. Start a journal. Grab a tablet that has no
lines. Don’t use a computer. Your eyes need a rest from screens.
You will need two
writing instruments, a good ball point pen and an
old fashioned pencil that will .....
Posted August 27, 2023
One Legged Chickens
When Cindy and I were doing the Medina Farmers Market for ten years, we raised a lot of
chickens because their eggs were a big seller. But one spring we sold a bunch of small eggs
for half price. Invariably, the women would ask how come we had so many small eggs. So this
is what we told them….
“The hatchery had a large batch of genetically strange hens born with
only one leg. They were willing to give them to us if we would give them a good home. We
accepted their offer and took home about 25 chicks with only one leg. When they were small,
they did really well and adapted to their condition. They grew….. and then the problems
started.
As they came to egg laying age, the eggs that were forming in their body every
couple of days was throwing their balance off and they kept falling over. We were spending
all our time picking up the hens and
helping them get their balance again.....
Posted August 20, 2023
The “Rich Kids”
If you were to apply for a job at a company that was known for innovation and ground
breaking advances, they probably won’t ask for your grade point average. They won’t ask
for your test scores or your school ranking. None of that will matter. They want to know
if you know HOW to learn.
The world is changing so fast that what you are taught in school
is probably out of date. They want to know if you have figured out how to teach yourself!
Nobody has
time to hold your hand.....
Posted August 18, 2023
The Yellow Monster is Here!
The yellow Monster with the flashing eyes is waiting to whisk your child away for the day.
Some kids will be gobbled up for the first time but some will stay home for school. In the last
newsletter we discussed how no matter what, learning happens all the time. We can’t stop it.
Every interaction will affect each child’s view of the world they are living in. This week I
want to share some insights from award winning retired teacher John Taylor Gotto.
John spent much of his life teaching 8th grade in New York City and was awarded teacher
of the year both locally and state wide several times. He points out that school is easy,
because someone else tells you what to do and how to do it. Unfortunately, that leads to kids
becoming dumber because their
natural curiosity is being crowded out.....
Posted July 29, 2023
To School or Not to School...
Kids are learning all the time. Just because they haven’t been in a classroom doesn’t mean
they shut their minds off. Kids of every age learn best by trying ideas to see if it works.
If it doesn’t, they try something else (just like a scientist). This learning process leads
to permanent knowledge because it is their discovery.
When we teach and announce they will
be tested on it, students play the game of remembering the answer just long enough for the
test. Actually telling (teaching) kids stunts the learning process. Has your kid ever said
“I can do it myself!” Pick up on that! They are telling you they want to figure it out
themselves.
John Holt, the godfather of the homeschooling movement said, “School is a place
where kids learn to be stupid.” He is saying the system forces kids into a learning path
that is pretty rigid and
usually to the level of the slowest.....
Posted July 22, 2023
Grandma Died. “I’m Sorry”
It is said that the two things people fear the most are “Public Speaking” and “Death”.
Speaking skills can be learned, but death is inevitable. I’ve cried many tears over my years.
I’ve already lost two wonderful wives to disease. At the farm, I’ve had goats die in my arms
and chickens killed by predators.
What do you say to your child when the family dog dies, the cat never comes home or....
Grandma dies? “I'm Sorry” never seemed like a good response to death. The emotions can’t be
ignored, but most of us don’t want to deal with the issue. It’s hard to help your kids
understand death when
you as an adult are also struggling.....
Posted July 5, 2023
A Two Year Old with a Knife – Yikes!
ARE YOU CRAZY! Of course you wouldn’t allow that – they’re not ready.
Lets talk about this stage of development – Birth to 18-24 months.
Most observant parents probably know this, they just haven’t put it into words.
The Sensorimotor phase....
An infant is born with a group of reflexes that are instinctual (sucking,
closing hand around an object placed in it). From these passive responses
he progresses rapidly to more active responses.
The passive release of looking
changes into
the active search for objects.....
Posted June 25, 2023
This is a Test
When I applied to study Architecture at KSU, a special test was given –
similar to the above examples. The test seemed easy and I asked the Dean what
the point of the test was. He informed me that I had done well and was accepted
to his department. But what about the test? He explained that many people are
smart, but can’t think 3 dimensionally.
Why some kids
see the world differently....
Posted June 17, 2023
Music to My Ears
“In the beginning was the word”. Words are vibrations from your vocal chords you
use all the time. Everything in the world is vibration and frequencies. You, your
chair, table, house, car – it’s all made of different frequencies. Some vibrations
are so fast that we can’t hear them.
Our ears only have a certain range of vibrations
that we can tune into. There’s background noise we tune out like the furnace and
refrigerator. There are sounds that demand our attention like horns or sirens.
People are talking – we’re listening – trying to understand their point.
Then we
come to music. It’s all over the world…. the universal language. Some we love,
some
sounds strange, some we....
Posted June 9, 2023
This is Really Messy – Yay!
Yep, it’s time to talk about Mud Pie Bakery at Discovery Park Ohio. It’s not particularly fancy.
Just a table with some old pans, spoons and baking tins. Add a bucket of mud and one of
water and let’s make something.
Inspired by Mud!
It’s so fun to watch the magic unfolding. Let’s get the mud in a mixing bowl, add a little water,
mix, scoop into a muffin pan. Needs a little sand from the sandbox sprinkled on top. These pebbles
will look good and a
wild flower over there can be picked....
Posted May 31, 2023
Do Frogs go to Heaven?
Oscar was sitting patiently on a lily pad, waiting for supper to fly by. It was a perfect day.
The sun was warm, his pond was beautiful and he had lots of friends close by. As Oscar contemplated
his wonderful life, a disturbing question suddenly flashed into his mind! Do frogs go to heaven?
At first he tried to ignore the question. What a silly thought. But he couldn’t get rid of it.
In fact a fly just went by and he forgot to grab it.
Oscar thought back to his early days as a tadpole. There were stories told back then as they
sat around in the evenings, watching the fireflies. Old Croaker talked of cities of gold floating
in the air with millions of frogs. Every frog had flies brought to him whenever he was hungry and
fish put on a show
every afternoon for the crowds of frogs....
Posted May 25, 2023
Bet You Can’t Do It!
I hated that line when I was growing up. They were probably right. I probably couldn’t. But what
is the comeback?
Some days it feels like life is throwing that question at me. When I first
dreamed up Discovery Park, I put together an outline of what I thought would make a great play
space. My wife added some cool sketches and we showed it to some successful entrepreneurs and
educators. They politely, but slowly read through our ideas and announced “That’s nice, but.... Sounds
like a lot of work, a lot of maintenance. Will you need government approval and insurance? How
will you finance it…. government grants?”
Those are all valid questions, but are they idea killers
or obstacles that just need to be overcome? It’s not that they didn’t believe it was a
good idea, they just know that most people....
Posted May 17, 2023
The Camping Craze
Need to Unwind? – Spend a night in a tipi!
Just try to find a camping spot at a state park! After the pandemic and staying home month after
month, people couldn’t wait to get outside – and they all wanted to go camping. Getting back to nature
is one of the joys of camping and being away from all the lights of the city is scary and magical at
the same time.
At first you look for a street light or think you need a flashlight to walk anywhere
at night. But most of the time, you don’t. If you stay outside and don’t look at any lights, the pupil
of your eye will gradually open wide and you will be able to see the path and many other things. Look up.
Stars, everywhere, millions of them,
maybe you will even see the milky way....
Posted May 13, 2023
You’re Going to Have to
Let Them Go.
Race You to the Fire Truck!
Today we’re exploring older kids. If your kids aren’t there yet – brace yourself. If you have
some over 7, you have survived this part. As we explore how kids mentally and emotionally are turning into adults, it is
sometimes a challenge.
As the parent, we don’t want them to stay a child dependent on us. They are testing the
world. At some point, they must leave home. If we’ve done a good job, they become successful adults who love you
because you let them try – win or fail – but you were always there for them. It’s hard
to let go. But that’s not their ....
Posted May 4, 2023
The Power of Ah-Ha
There are things in life we never forget. We struggle to understand a problem and suddenly the mental
light bulb turns on. You’ve just had an AH-HA moment! Maybe you said it out loud – maybe just to yourself,
but it will stick for the rest of your life. It sticks because you put the pieces together, you
figured it out, you own that discovery.
Someone just telling you the answer isn’t the same. You didn’t
have to work it through – it’s their discovery. Chances are you will forget it. That’s how it is with
much of school. The teacher or book passes on their knowledge. You memorize it for the test and then
let it go – you never owned it.
Maybe the above paragraph helped you
understand what is happening ....
Posted April 29, 2023
Green Eggs and Ham
Understanding the world is major for kids. Everything is new – something to study, internalize, fit
in with all the other bits they are absorbing. Most kids don’t really know where food comes from.
So part of our goal at Discovery Park is providing an environment where orchards, berries and animals
are all around. We watch as a child sees and touches a chicken for the first time. Some are
terrified of the hens, but usually that fear melts away when they feel the soft feathers.
We have over a dozen breeds of chickens at Discovery Park so kids can see how fascinating the feather
combinations can be. As for green eggs,
I can show you several....
Posted April 20, 2023
I Don’t Get You!
Your kids don’t think like you!
Obviously your kids minds haven’t developed yet to the same level as an adult. But there may be something
bigger at play than you realize....
Our brains aren’t all wired the same.
Schools are mostly based on “wordsmith” brains – processing and using words effectively. But many kids
struggle because words are not how their brain works.
Lets look at some other types of brain “processing”....
Wordsmith: They can create a scene in your mind that dances with life just by using the right words that
connect with your soul.
Music: Vibration is everything – how to make it, work with it, enjoy it. It’s
more than listening to songs. They sing, they drum
the table, every instrument has to....
Posted April 12, 2023
Where’s the Challenge?
Have we become so obsessed with protecting our children that we have deprived them of challenge? This is a
newsletter about play, so let’s talk about contemporary playgrounds. Every community has them, many of them.
Every elementary school has one.
If you look past the bright colors and arrangement, they are all basically
the same. A platform you climb up to with stairs, rope net or slanted “rock wall”. Then you peek through a
few holes or a fake telescope, spin a plastic ship’s steering wheel that does nothing and then slide down
a short slide – maybe straight, maybe curved. There are some springy things and a few swings with short
ropes. If you are 3 or 4, this might be exciting a couple of times, but where is the challenge that pushes
kids to grow, physically and mentally?
Every one of these playgrounds cost $100,000 plus, and then there
is
landscaping and installation costs....
Posted April 5, 2023
Did You Find Gold?
I’ve always been fascinated with panning for gold. In our history, whole towns have sprung up to provide
services where someone found gold. First it was in streams, then crevices, then cracks deep underground.
It actually takes about 20 tons of ore to produce 1 ounce of gold.
Diggers Creek Mine is Discovery Park’s challenge to find some gold – and other stuff. Grab your sluice
box, pour in some mining ore and set it in the running water. Shake it back and forth and watch the
gemstones from around the world appear as the sand is washed away. There’s Opal and Emeralds, Amethyst
and Quartz. Look at the fossils, sharks teeth and arrowheads!
Wait a minute!.... There’s GOLD
in the bottom
of the....
Posted April 2, 2023
Special Edition....
(Chicks ..... Season Pass ..... Homeschoolers)
There is a severe shortage of chicks this year!
Everybody wants backyard chickens as a source of fresh,
healthy eggs. Since we also do “Hatch the Chicken” programs in preschools, libraries, senior centers and
individual homes, we are out at our local hatchery (Meyer Hatchery) almost every week. They hatch 130,000
chicks each week and are sold out through the end of summer.
I have checked with other hatcheries, and they
are also pretty much sold out too. Even hatching eggs are hard to find. So we bought a large incubator and
our first hatch of chicks is ready. If you are looking for chicks to raise, contact us at 330-242-3772.
New – Season Passes. Discovery Park is
prepairing...
Posted March 29, 2023
Life is about Balance
As adults we talk about a balance of life: work – family – rest – relaxation. We all know it’s important and
being very far out of balance can wreck our life. I’m not going to lecture you on that subject, but balance
is a skill that kids learn on the playground.
Some activities only work when the other person has a similar weight,
like a teeter totter. You have probably been on a teeter totter and know that the heavier person has to move
forward and the lighter moves back.
Up and down, up and down,....
Posted March 22, 2023
Intuitive Play
A huge number of kids coming to Discovery Park are in the age range of 4-7. Play is everything, and they
can do most activities in the park. But riding the train is always the first “have-to-do” activity.
This is called....
“The Intuitive Stage”
You probably haven’t thought of it that way, but I’m sure you can identify
with the following thoughts:
“This phase marks the child’s growing ability to conceptualize – to organize his experience. True logic is not
yet possible, and the child relies heavily on his intuition, but he is continually attempting to make his
intuition correspond more closely to reality. This is the well-known
stage of incessant questioning....
Posted March 15, 2023
This Looks Boring!
It’s just a 4 foot disk of plywood hanging by 4 ropes from a pole. Kids just stand there – looking –
trying to figure it out. No idea. I guess I’ll just turn it and see what happens. OK – the ropes wrap
around the pole and the disk rises. Guess I’ll jump on. WHOA!
The disk starts spinning down and then
back up again. Stops. Back down again and back up. Did not expect that. And it’s all I can do to hang
on. The centrifugal force is powerful. It wants to fling me on the ground like an angry monster.
I love
to watch their surprised look as they hang on with all their might.
But then I was shocked!....
Posted March 8, 2023
Where’s the Fire!
I’ll bet you wanted to be a fireman when you were young. Big awesome truck – lights demanding attention,
sirens whaling down the road. Off to save someone’s life. How exciting!
Most communities have a fire department, some volunteer. They are essential. But when do you get to climb
in a real pumper truck and study all the controls? What turns on the flashers? There are siren buttons on
the floor that trigger the piercing air horns. SO much to take in. The driver is called “the engineer” and
is in charge of all the controls. In the passenger seat is the fire chief. He’s watching the side roads
so no one pulls out.........
Posted March 4, 2023
Words Matter!
It’s 3 in the morning, if it weren’t for the waves of wind roaring through the trees, it would be
impeccably silent. Words matter! Usually I know where I am going when I write a newsletter, but in
spite of the stillness, my mind is yelling – write. Our relationships with those around us are built
or destroyed with the words we use. Yes, actions are in there, but words are the control buttons.
Life is complex. It needs to be. If it were boring, we wouldn’t be challenged to grow. Every
obstacle/event that happens to us challenges us to a new understanding of this world – of ourselves.
Words matter. Words are how we interpret our
inner being in relationship to.........
Posted March 1, 2023
It’s All Make-Believe!
Today we’re talking about kids who are between 2 and 4. Some parents dread this age because they’ve heard of the
“Terrible Twos and Threes”! If you understand what is going on in the development of their brain, then their actions make
a lot more sense. Remember also that their body is physically growing at a rapid rate and learning to control this
body suit is challenging. Yes they can run and climb but they seem so clumsy. How would you feel if you grew a foot
taller this year. You’re banging your head on everything. You’re looking
down at everything from a new.........
Posted Feb. 22, 2023
This is a Little Wobbly!
Have you ever driven a car around a corner a little too fast? Everybody slid to the side in their seats
and you almost lost control of the car. That’s centrifugal force. Spin something on the end of a string –
yep, same thing. It’s a basic physics concept and is happening everywhere something is spinning.
Years ago most playgrounds had a merry-go-round. It was about 8 feet in diameter and close to the ground
with some rails along the sides. You could sit or stand. Everybody
would climb on and.........
Posted Feb. 15, 2023
I’m a Slow Learner, Apparently....
While I was studying Architecture at Kent State University in 1969, it seems like every project I
developed snuck a play space into it. Even a church design had a waterfall and 3D play space as the focal point.
I finally realized I would never be happy designing government buildings and corporate centers. I changed my major.
But that sense of play remained in my heart.
Then life happened.........
Posted Feb. 8, 2023
What is it with Trains?
I haven't figured this one out. Maybe you can. The first thing every kid wants to do when he visits
Discovery Park is climb on a rail car and crank it around the track. Is it the tunnel, the woods?
It's a long track ‑ 650 feet which is 1 scale mile. They don't go around once ‑ it's multiple times.
Then they couple their car with someone else and go around again! The best part is watching mom and dad
suddenly climbing on a car and racing around with their kids. They're hooked.
The parents are discovering their own joy..........
Posted Feb. 1, 2023
Have you lost your play?
At what age did you lose it, 8,9,10? Did you decide you were too old for playgrounds or was it peer pressure?
Maybe it was the type of playground! Play is one of the best ways to learn. No rules, no pressure, just figure it out.
And when you do, you have an AH-HA moment! You‘ll never forget that because you own it.
You probably don‘t remember going down your first big slide. It was scary at the top of the ladder.
You wanted to go back down, but there were other kids climbing up. No choice. WOW!... That was scary and fun.
It was almost like flying.........
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