Vlog: Of Playtime, Pen Knives and Peach Pits

Roger Ebert's article: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/06/raising_free-range_kids.html

A vlog about childhood games, toys, creativity and the imagination.

The book mentioned is "How to do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself" by Robert Paul Smith, illustrated by his wife Elinor Goulding Smith, and published in 1958.

Website on peach pit carving: http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users/dietr1rv/peachpits/index.htm

Website describing Mumbly Peg Pen-knife game with pictures and instructions: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/games/beard/mumbly_peg.htm

Copyright-free Music: http://www.incompetech.com

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• childhood
• children
• kids
• game
• games
• toy
• toys
• creativity
• imagination
• idea
• playtime
• play
• peach
• pit
• carving
• pen
• knife

[pang5]

I just checked Barnes & Noble and Amazon for this book. Girl, you keep that sucker and you'll be a millionairess! (<-- a big number :) )

Great video. Thanks. Reminds me of sitting in the closet with my younger sister and pretending to be pilots. We never ever crashed. :D

[TheRavenOfPoe]

my sister and I used cardboard boxes as our planes, hehe! ;)

[greggwbarnes]

This is amazing. I am 39 years old, and when i saw this, i got the book. Its amazing to me that I did most of these things when i was a child. I am going to pass it them all on to my kids.

Thanks!!!

[TheRavenOfPoe]

Thank you Gregg! It really is a delightful book to read and share =)

[JuventasOne]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on making Ebert's blog. I too appreciate the lost details from generations not so long ago.

[TheRavenOfPoe]

Thank you very much =) Your comment was what led me to the article - I really enjoyed the discussion generated there!

[legzandherpiano]

I remember when playing pretend was the best game there was. :) I'm an only child so I was alone a lot and I played a lot of games similar to these.

[LoveMattersMost]

Jen, congratulations on getting noticed by such a famous person! : ) That may be your first "Star Contact"-It's not the last, for sure! ; )

But, what really stands out for me is your unique and almost peculiar vision for people and things in "the peripheral" of life, away from the mainstream people and topics. For me, those are always the most fascinating things. Like gold nuggets that lie in a hidden spring that no one has thought to search. Keep searching, it's very entertaining -B.

[ASAngelo]

You know, my neighbour has seen this lovely vlog now. It is quite a brilliant commentary on play. You make any book sound intriguing.^^

Thank you Miss Raven;)

[BigHornCanyon]

yes, perhaps it is. i thought it may be a hammered dulcimer,

watch?v=bRwaVanPTDE

[gaffneyyy]

i recognized the part at the end from the little prince straight away. one of my all time favorite books.