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Remember lying in the back yard looking up at the clouds and seeing them as dinosaurs or a gorilla or a helicopter getting ready to land? I remember summers of my childhood as days like this. Making mud pies, riding bikes, drinking out of the water hose. We woke up, went outside, and played until sun down. I think that children, especially, need these unstructured days to find adventure, use their imaginations, and just be. You find yourself in those times that you are free to roam and explore your world. As a child I was just living, having fun, and enjoying the sunshine. As a mother I can see through my child's eyes how one can be intrigued by the feel of the grass under their feet and by the sight of a ladybug climbing up a plant. He is most creative when he is "set free" and not confined by the boundaries of a video game or toy. He has to really think of something to do. He is being enveloped by the world and all the amazing things in it when he is let loose to explore freely. There is a time and place for structure, as a teacher I believe that with all my heart. For life to be lived at its fullest though, we must have a balance of structured activity and free time. What better way to get that cherished free time than through the lazy days of summer?

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