I’ve posted before about how great our neighborhood is. Summers especially bring out the best in it. Our house is on a corner lot and our yard is one of the best in the neighborhood for playing. Spontaneous games break out nearly every evening and sometimes days (mostly it’s been too hot, though). Mark is typically the youngest and kids as old as 14 are regulars.

When the kids decide to play something, they spend some time recruiting others and the games begin. I love not “arranging” this. It’s a lot like things happened when I grew up. No adult intervention required or allowed. Except for the occasional mom or dad who wants an at-bat to embarrass themselves or impress the kids. ( I won’t tell you which category I’d fall under).

I have to admit, “Release!” makes me the most nervous. When the boys started playing with the other kids last year, I would watch out the window waiting to see if one of my boys darted across the street without looking-but it didn’t happen. This year, I just don’t watch. They actually haven’t played release too often. The junior-high girls end up texting their friends and it usually takes so long to decide boundaries and teams, that it’s time to go home.

Run-down is popular and sometimes they play with 3 bases and 3 catchers. Mostly the kids avoid the run downs but it’s always funny when one happens.

Wiffle ball is fun to watch. The kids set up the hockey net as a back-stop and just try to hit it over the fence in the next yard. I have no idea how this is fun for the outfielders but once Mark got thrown out at 3rd by a blind bomb from the other side of the fence. That was big Mark (remember what I said about parents).

A couple of weeks ago, the kids started playing ULTIMATE FRISBEE and everyone loves it. It’s a game that a kids of any age and ability can play. I have no idea what the rules are or even what the object is but the kids basically run back and forth, back and forth until someone drops the frisbee, scores or gets mad.

We’ve had our share of too many screens this summer but I’m telling myself that it’s been pretty well balanced by a good dose of great games outside. Tomorrow is the last day of summer for the regular school kids and I’m thinking we’ll be hosting the last official game of ultimate for the summer, too.