How do city kids burn off extra energy

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the burbs where we would spend hours playing in yards with neighbors and as we got older go on bike rides, play street hockey in the road etc. I’m considering moving into the city to reduce my commute and I have a infant and 2yo boys. For the next few years playgrounds will meet our needs, but as they get older how do city kids burn off a lot of energy after school or on weekends (more in the stage they’d be outside playing sports with friends if they had yards or riding bikes around the neighborhood)?

[Anonymous]

Most kids I know of that age have 2 parents that work full time, so during the week the kids are either in aftercare until 6pm or are being carpooled to organized sports. Then actual games are on weekends.

[Anonymous]

You...do know they have parks, basketball courts, bike trails, pools, climbing walls, skate parks, playgrounds, tracks, and even horseback riding in cities, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You...do know they have parks, basketball courts, bike trails, pools, climbing walls, skate parks, playgrounds, tracks, and even horseback riding in cities, right?

Yes of course - but that’s not as easy as being sent into the backyard. Do kids in mid elementary hang out at a basketball court a few blocks away themselves or do parents still supervise at that age? Do people play sports in back alleys? Do random kids meet up for pick-up play at school sport fields on the weekends? Do people drive somewhere to go bike riding if you’re not right next to a trail or does that end up being more trouble than it’s worth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You...do know they have parks, basketball courts, bike trails, pools, climbing walls, skate parks, playgrounds, tracks, and even horseback riding in cities, right?

True, but having lived in both, it's not the same being able to play things like street hockey, tag, soccer, etc right out the front door. Maybe this is in part why there is higher juvenile crime in cities...new theory!

[Anonymous]

I have a high energy daughter who has always lived in the city. She went to a park or playground every day unless it was raining when she was little. At aftercare I would pick her up at the park near her school. Sometimes on the commute home she would ask to get off the train early so we could walk. At night and on weekends I’d take her to the parking lot near our building with her bike and she’d ride around it. She would jump rope at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most kids I know of that age have 2 parents that work full time, so during the week the kids are either in aftercare until 6pm or are being carpooled to organized sports. Then actual games are on weekends.

Same—most parents work FT in my neighborhood so aftercare and activities during the week usually.

However, on the weekends, elementary aged kids are on scooters to the playground, running back and forth between houses, playing in backyards, etc. in my upper NW neighborhood. I think it’s pretty similar to the suburbs, having lived there before moving to DC with a toddler for commute reasons. The only differences I can think of are that there are more kids in my DC neighborhood, and there are sidewalks.

[Anonymous]

I had a mattress on the floor and the kids used it as a trampoline

[Anonymous]

In the city children Walk/run/jump/skip to school, to the library, to the park, to the hiking trails to the store, along the river, all over the National Mall. We also walk to the Metro, to the bus stop, to some museums, to some performances.
This is part of why city living can be pretty awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the city children Walk/run/jump/skip to school, to the library, to the park, to the hiking trails to the store, along the river, all over the National Mall. We also walk to the Metro, to the bus stop, to some museums, to some performances.
This is part of why city living can be pretty awesome.

+1. Walked all over Embassy Row for the Around the World embassy open houses yesterday, which had cool kid friendly attractions/activities--my 8yo athletic kid was tuckered out by the end.

[Anonymous]

I think OP is talking about unsupervised play? I remember when I was 7 yrs old, I’d come home around 4 pm, grab my bike, and go biking around with friends until dark. I don’t see many 7 yrs old just biking around the city in groups by themselves. I live on the Hill and would love to send my 8 yr old to the playground 5 blocks away to shoot hoops with whoever else is around, but I don’t see anyone else doing that, tbh. I don’t know if that’s bc I live in the city, or if that’s just more parenting today (i.e., not just letting kids roam around on their own).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most kids I know of that age have 2 parents that work full time, so during the week the kids are either in aftercare until 6pm or are being carpooled to organized sports. Then actual games are on weekends.

Infants and 2 year olds?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OP is talking about unsupervised play? I remember when I was 7 yrs old, I’d come home around 4 pm, grab my bike, and go biking around with friends until dark. I don’t see many 7 yrs old just biking around the city in groups by themselves. I live on the Hill and would love to send my 8 yr old to the playground 5 blocks away to shoot hoops with whoever else is around, but I don’t see anyone else doing that, tbh. I don’t know if that’s bc I live in the city, or if that’s just more parenting today (i.e., not just letting kids roam around on their own).

This is neighborhood dependent. People do this in my part of the city ((EOTP NW).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most kids I know of that age have 2 parents that work full time, so during the week the kids are either in aftercare until 6pm or are being carpooled to organized sports. Then actual games are on weekends.

Infants and 2 year olds?!

Why is this unbelievable? People either do aftercare/late pickup, stagger their work schedules, or have au pairs/babysitters/nannies.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 8. She does aftercare with includes outdoor play time. During nice weather, we might stop at a playground on the way home. At my house (apartment, busy corner, park across the street) I go with her to the park and she plays on the structures, shoots baskets, rides her scooter, splash pad in the summer, sledding in the winter). Definitely by 5th grade I would be okay with her going to play with a friend and no grownup (I can see the whole park from my window and can yell to her). At her other house on a quieter block she can ride bikes with nearby friends or play in yards without an adult. In the winter we will do a trampoline park, indoor pool, or roller rink on the weekend.

She does one sport per season (basketball, soccer, swim) which are usually one practice and one game per week.

I think city living is fun for kids, but choose your location carefully so that you have easy access to a park/rec center/pool or some other place that you can easily get to where they can play.