Seriously, Karim! What to do with those rambunctious kids over the summer

Summer is near, and New Jersey parents are coming up with plans to keep their kids busy and engaged, which in turn keeps those parents semi-sane!

Here is the problem: Parents need to wear their children’s shoes, metaphorically speaking.

Imagine this: You are required to go to a prison of sorts every day (That would be school), where you have a long list of what you CANNOT do for nine long and grueling months. And when you come home thinking prison is over for the day, you have to do the homework assigned by the warden (Teacher) or otherwise face severe consequences the next day at the mentioned prison.

I remember having those feelings, especially in middle school, when all I wanted to do was play. Such an underrated word for a young teenage boy: Play.

During the last week of my middle school years in Damascus, Syria, I remember counting the days till freedom arrived. Then on the last day, I would count the hours till the last period, then the minutes till the bell -- the bell that started three months of playing outside till dark, then coming into our condominium on Malek Street in the Abo Rommana neighborhood only to be thrown into the bathroom and ordered to shower.

“But I’m clean,” I would protest to my mother, who would place her hand on my neck and show me the brown gunk.

“Fine,” I would huff. I was never a big fan of showers, but it was worth it. Those summer days were unforgettable.

My friends and I would start early on our bikes with no gears and fly across the neighborhood without a worry in the world. Remember those days? When the wind was your only obstacle? We would build ramps and fly over them with our bikes, then crash land and scrape an elbow or a knee, which would only make us laugh hysterically and repeat the action.

Fast forward to today, and parents have so many options to keep their kids busy all summer.

In New Jersey, of course, we have the Jersey Shore, a haven loaded with fun towns and boardwalks and camping and sunning and surfing and spending way too much money to fry in the heat, then come back home with sand in your pockets for a year. I drove the entirety of the Jersey Shore a while back and wrote this fun account.

We also have zoos and parks, amusement parks, nature centers, aquariums and a plethora of summer camps.

Online, several sites list fun things you can do with your kids, like Mommy Poppins. They have a comprehensive list of games, including Steal the Bacon, jump rope, hopscotch, Hot Potato and Capture the Flag. The last one was a favorite of mine.

While checking outdoor games online, I came across a few that reminded me of one we played in Damascus in our neighbor’s backyard. A game that renders me stunned that I am still alive!

You know those bottle rockets? We would fashion bottle rocket launchers – small pipes we would scavenge from construction sites. Then, we would block one end with soap and duct tape. Each boy would get 20 or so bottle rockets. Then we would scatter behind trees and shoot the bottle rockets at each other!!

I remember rockets zipping inches from my head. Can you imagine? To all New Jersey parents: Do NOT let your kids play that game!

Instead, reduce screen time and send them outside. Most kids these days are not familiar with the concept of “outside.” Bring back that ingenuity in your children and prompt them to invent their own games, sans bottle rockets. And on occasion, play with them and their friends.

Those times when they invite you to join in will diminish as they grow up.

Most importantly, cherish every age of your children. I look back at my kids, now 33 - Zade, 29 – Dury and 25 - Demi, and I’m glad I participated in their adventures when they were little.

I’ll never forget playing hide and seek with Zade, where he hid in the same place over and over while I pretended that I didn’t know. I’ll never forget watching ants build their kingdom with Dury and making roads for them with little sticks. And I’ll never forget letting go of Demi’s little bike with no training wheels for the first time and watching her scream in delight as she soared into the land of her dreams.

Embrace summers because they, and all other seasons, will pass way too soon.

Stories by Karim Shamsi-Basha

• Affordable Eats: You won’t believe what I found at this N.J grocery store!
• Seriously, Karim! My dad jokes might tickle your funny bone, guaranteed!
• What fatherhood taught me about life, love, and footsie pajamas

Karim Shamsi-Basha may be reached at kshamsi-basha@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter & Instagram.

Follow Mosaic on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom.