Snow and a toboggan plus grandkids and a fast hill on a sunny January day equals great memories – and a recipe for making new friends.
There’s nothing like a toboggan ride down a steep winding hill to bring memories of wintertime joy from your childhood back into clear focus. Squeals of delight mixed with more than a tiny bit of fear. Wind in your face. Snow powder whizzing by. It’s like flying without wings.
There’s also nothing like the sudden thud of your backside hitting the icy ground after the toboggan takes a flying leap over a large mogul to remind you that those childhood memories were made many decades ago. Older bones don’t bounce like they used to.
On a recent sunny January afternoon, two grandkids and I packed up our shiny new toboggan and trudged up a hill at the back of a local park and let the fun begin.
People who bemoan that there’s nothing to do here in the winter; that kids are only interested in electronic devices; or that youngsters don’t know how to just get outside and play to entertain themselves, should head to that or almost any other local park on such a fine winter’s day.
There were about two dozen other souls ranging in age from pre-school to older adulthood there that afternoon. Some people were from the neighborhood; others from far off places. At least three languages were spoken on the hill that day, but the laughter was all the same.
It didn’t matter that we were of widely varied ages, from different countries and socio-economic backgrounds or if we were traveling down the hill on spiffy new sleds, beat up old metal saucer sleds or a piece of plastic-coated cardboard. We were all in the thrill together.
We lent our toboggan to several groups who wanted to give the long wooden sled a try and in turn, we took zippy rides down the hill on small saucers lent to us and experienced a different kind of trip down the hill. Flying solo was a thrill.
Parents were watching out for their own kids and other children too. Grandparents cheered on the little ones and doled out hot chocolate at the bottom of the hill. It could have easily been a sunny January day from my childhood in the 1960s. Or from my parents’ childhood in the 1930s and ‘40s.
While family and community life have changed in many ways since those days, in other quite important ways it has stayed the same.
Community still matters. We all left the hill with new friends, lungs full of fresh air and hearts full of sweet memories. We’re all richer, and likely healthier, for the connections made that day.
Fun can still be free. No admission charge, no batteries or wi-fi hotspot connections were needed. Just an adventurous spirit and a willingness to relinquish control to the laws of gravity. A willingness to laugh at yourself when the ride doesn’t go as planned was also key. Bruised knees, elbows and perhaps bruised tailbones, yes, but no bruised egos allowed. We all skidded off track at one point or another on our trips down the hill.
There’s joy in rooting for others. For those not able to wiz down the hill, just as much fun was available to the cheering section as they vicariously enjoyed the fun from the bottom of the hill. Hugs, high-fives and hot chocolate were just as welcomed by the kids as the adults observing the fun.
Whether you’re a parent with couch-bound kids, a teenager bored with ‘nothing to do’, or a senior with or without local grandkids to spoil, this free entertainment is yours for the enjoying.
Not up for trekking out to the hills? Observing the antics of others at local outdoor ice arenas, walking nature trails or gazing from the inside of local nature centers’ observation windows all allow nature to nurture your soul in a community setting this winter. But if you are up for a ride, especially a nostalgic ride on a wooden toboggan, meet me at the top of the park hill some sunny winter afternoon. I’ll be the one with snow on my backside from downhill slide-offs, a silly grin on my face from the fun, and an open heart ready to welcome new friends to the wintertime-fun circle.