Our backyard is a free-for-all hangout spot for neighborhood kids. Everyone follows the same simple rules, or they go home.

Sun, 08/04/2024 - 05:23

Kids playing outside together, two kids holding hands to form a bridge and other kids running under their hands. — The author says that kids in their neighborhood often come to their backyard to play.
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Most afternoons, my backyard is a hangout spot for kids in my neighborhood.
And it's not just my backyard — other houses on my block participate, too.
Everyone follows the rules of the house and plays nicely together, or they go back home.

On any given afternoon, when I look in my backyard, I'll see multiple kids who aren't mine. In addition to my own two children, plenty of neighborhood kids come by to play. If my kids are inside, they may knock on the door to see if they can play. In fact, this happens so often that we put a doorbell at our back door.