think native

For one reason or another, over the weekend I was taken back to my time growing up in Sydney, and in particular that perennial summertime of childhood.

I have no idea why I was remembering all of this, my mind makes full use of its opportunities to meander on Sundays over the papers and a bacon sandwich, but nonetheless I was recalling all the various games we used to play in the playground at school.

We played the same kind of games that kids have been playing, I suspect, since time began; marbles, yo-yos, Top Trumps, toy cars.

But the best games were the ones where everyone could play together. ‘Tag’, ‘British bulldog’, ‘Catch & Kiss (or Kiss Chase if you’re from Blighty)’.

It got me thinking: isn’t the Internet just one big playground? Don’t all the same rules apply?

In the playground, everyone gravitated towards the kids who could tell the best stories, the kids who had stuff to give away, the kids who suggested games that everyone could play together.

And the last thing anyone wanted was for the adults to come to the playground to just ‘hang out’, because the adults always spoiled the fun by trying to make you do things, by always being so serious.

So, what kind of kid are you? Are you the kid who tell funny or entertaining stories? Do you ask your Dad for sweets you can give out to your friends? Or even better, do you come up with games that everyone can play, like this, this, this or this?

Or are you the serious adult trying to control the fun, telling the kids not to sing that song or run so fast, or climb on that? Or worse, interrupting the fun to try and get you to do something?