A Monster Ate My Sneakers: A blend of Mystery and humour
The Quietest Morning (EVER)
You ever have one of those dreams where you’re not sure if you’re still sleeping or already awake? Your mind racing with morning thoughts for the day. Maybe something you forgot to do the day before. Things you may think about even before your eyes open. That was me this morning.
Their body is collecting information
One minute they're sitting quietly on the couch.
The next they're balancing on the armrest.
Five minutes later, they're halfway up a tree.
Or the kitchen bench.
Or the playground equipment that somehow seems twice as tall as they are.
As parents, it's easy to think...
"Can you please just keep your feet on the ground?"
But here's the funny thing.
Your child isn't trying to make your life difficult.
They're doing exactly what their body was designed to do.
That's why active play for children is so important.
Kids aren't built to sit still all day.
They're built to climb.
Climbing isn't bad behaviour
Let's clear something up.
Most kids don't climb because they're naughty.
They climb because they're curious.
Can I reach that?
Can I balance here?
Can I get to the top?
Every climb is a little experiment.
Every jump is a little lesson.
That's the beauty of active play for children.
Kids are learning long before they realise they're learning.
Confidence grows, one climb at a time
Have you ever noticed what happens after a child reaches the top of something?
They turn around.
They smile.
They shout...
"Mum! Dad! Look!"
They're not showing off.
They're sharing a victory.
Every successful climb tells them something.
"I can do hard things."
That's one of the greatest gifts active play for children can offer.
Confidence.
Not the loud kind.
The quiet kind.
The kind that sticks.
There'll be falls
It's going to happen.
A scraped knee.
A dusty bottom.
A wobble on the monkey bars.
It's part of childhood.
Of course, we keep kids safe.
That's our job.
But we also need to remember that learning happens through experience.
If we remove every challenge, we accidentally remove every opportunity to grow.
That's why active play for children isn't about avoiding every bump and bruise.
It's about helping kids build resilience, judgment, and confidence in thei
Let kids be kids
Not every moment needs to be organised.
Not every afternoon needs a schedule.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is step back and let childhood unfold.
Let them climb.
Let them explore.
Let them test themselves.
Because today's fearless little climber could become tomorrow's confident teenager.
Or tomorrow's resilient adult.
Final thoughts
The next time you catch your child climbing something that makes you take a deep breath, pause for a second.
Look past the muddy shoes.
Look past the grass stains.
Look past the laundry you'll probably have to do later.
What you're really looking at is a child learning about their body.
Testing their limits.
Building confidence one climb at a time.
That's the real power of active play for children.
And honestly...
The couch was never going to be the most interesting thing in the room anyway.
For more tips and tricks, feel free to contact us or read our Dewey Does blog. Don’t forget, if your whole family want to look amazing while you’re out there living your best life, we make a whole range of inspiring novelty tees that can add a touch of fun and color. Speaking of fun and color, be sure to check out our super cool interactive logo!
While you’re here, we’d love to hear what you have to say about kids sports moments Drop us your two cents below.
Hi, Team Does. I get all my sports news and updates from my friend Tommy Ommy, host of Straight from the Basement Sports Podcast. Be sure to follow him wherever you get your podcasts, and check out his YouTube channel for sports news and conversations - Dewey.
Fighting childhood obesity since 2006
