Pioneer Children

I’m not much of a singer and when it comes to memorizing songs I’m even worse. So as I grew up I didn’t retain too much information during music time at school or at church. But I did remember one song that has stuck with me all these years…

“The pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked aannnndddddd walked.”

It was a great tune. I used it during many of the jobs my dad gave me, like hoeing weeds up and down the rows of a potato field.

Since Pioneer Day was celebrated yesterday in the great state of Utah I thought here at Nature For Kids we could compare the pioneer children of yesteryear to our children of today.

I know these are extreme versions of what I’m trying to portray but you get the idea don’t you? Life has definitely changed. But how has the activity level in children’s lives changed along with that?

While reading up on pioneer children I learned that it’s estimated that 40,000 of the emigrants were children. The space in the wagons was reserved for food and supplies so the children didn’t bring along toys. If they did they were very small. They only rode in the wagon when falling too far behind or sick. They also had daily chores of fetching water, gathering firewood (buffalo chips), and herding cattle.  They traveled for more than 5 months. Yikes!

Photo take by Tim Wilson

While reading up on kids today I learned that obesity in kids is now an epidemic in the U.S. and the number of kids who are overweight has doubled in the last two decades. The average daily chores for kids these days include taking out the trash and picking up their room.

Along with the change in activity levels in kids is the change in their toys!

Marbles are hard to find in the toy section these days and the art of carving has almost diminished. I would have to say though, I’m sure a PSP would have been nice to have along the old dusty trail, with as small as it is, but where would you charge the batteries?

I’m not saying every child in the world is plagued with laziness and fatness these days. I have plenty of kids roaming around my neighborhood on bikes and swimming at the pool. I’m just saying interests have shifted amongst children. They are interested in gaming systems and computers more now than ever. Which is fine. I wouldn’t be typing this blog right now if it weren’t for technology. But as a parent I urge you not to let them forget the simple outdoor interests and joys of the past!

kids, children, songs, pioneer, pioneer day, obesity, PSP

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