Kids Hurtling Downstairs on Boogie Boards? It's a Learning Opportunity.

School's out and I'm feeling it's absence.  I know I'm not alone especially when the clock ticks 8:00 p.m. and we are mid-mayhem. 

Five minutes ago, I stood up to hear *thump, thump, thump.  Followed swiftly by "Belly flop!"

It's almost 9:00 p.m.  What trouble could they possibly be getting into?  I have three children, 10, 8, and 6.  Their 13 and 8 year-old cousins are staying with us for the summer.  Let's just say that night brings out their inner "Gremlins."  But, we also live pretty close to Pendleton.  So, it's a toss up as to what is creating the loud triple thumps.

I stepped into the hallway and saw a trail of pillow pets strewn across the floor and over the stair railing.  Peculiar.  Then I see it.  A boogie board at the top of the staircase and a landing full of pillow pets at the bottom.  "Belly flop!"  My oldest son wailed as he sprang onto the board at the top of the staircase.  

Note:  I'm not a hard core disciplinarian.  But, I'm no softie either.  I ride the parenting wave in the deep middle.  So, I didn't know quite what to do when I saw the five of them chanting and belly laughing.  

So, I reverted to form.  I turned what could be a catastrophic injury waiting to happen into a learning opportunity.  

First, we huddled at the top of the staircase.  We observed the danger and considered truly how fast they were going--you know, the 'ol "distance=rate times time."  Yes, I did.  I turned it into a physics lesson. 

After adding more fluffy pets at the bottom and laying out a few ground rules, we timed each one going down the stairs and then measured the distance from top to bottom.  Then, we each stated our observations.

The best part--we had a blast, reviewed a little physics before going to bed, and put the pillow pets back in their places. 

Trust me, though, I'm not advocating that you try this at home.