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HalfFull, I respect your choices, including being indoors, don't get offended by cut and paste.
Not to take too much of your time, do all kids in NJ play by appointment only ?
Alrighty....
There is certainly lots more appointment-play than when we were kids, but I think that goes across most states.
There is less playing outside in general in the winter, but there is still plenty of playing in the snow, sledding, etc. And if it would stay cold, the lake by me would freeze over and there would be lots of kids out there skating.
But there is so much more organized sports... my daugter spends a lot of the winter on the basketball court or on the indoor turf playing soccer.
Plus one of the reasons that so many people choose the suburbs is for bigger homes... and with that comes big family rooms and finished basements where kids do lots of playing.
You might want to focus on towns that are a bit more dense and have active downtowns. The activity will be more concentrated.
The only "non-appointment" type of play my 5yr old son gets, happens after school when parents hang around for some time to chat/socialize, while kids play on the nearby playground. Everything else is pre-arranged (aka play dates, birthdays, etc.)
When they get older and have developed more friendships, that changes. My daughter never had something called a "play date". It was just "can I go over to Jamie's" or "Can I ride bicycles with Frannie". That was usually when they were big enough to walk/bike over to a friend's house, otherwise they just went home with the other kid after school once it was OK'd by the parents.
There are still streets in NJ towns like you describe... not typically neighborhoods, however. I used to live on a street in Montclair, NJ where the kids played in the streets and backyards. That street is still going strong like that...but it's really up to the neighbors to keep it going. It helps to live on a cul de sac. During the warmer months, you definitely see younger kids playing in the parks, playgrounds and community pools. In the winter when there is snow, there are kids out sledding, supervised by adults.
To be honest,it seems only low income kids go out to play.
Mainly in inner city areas. Haven't seen surburban kids paly outside.
I figure poor kids don't have ipads and cell phones,so they go out to play
Only poor kids get to go out and play ? That's unfair. Why wouldn't higher income parents force kids off computer machinery and outside to get some fresh air ?
In the city, the kids just come out and play with other kids. There is always somebody outside.
My initial impression of the suburbs is that everybody is pretty much under house arrest.
Is this really the case ?
Its funny you say that because I was born and raised in the upper west side of Manhattan and it was NOT like that at all. Once we moved out and into NJ it was such a huge difference. My son has 6 friends that all live on the same block that attend his school and probably another 10 plus within 2 blocks. We have wonderful neighbors and plenty of gatherings, and the kids are always outside playing. And not to mention we live 1-1/2 block away from a great playground and some small downtown shops. On a nice day I would suggest you drive around and check out some of the town, playgrounds etc. Good luck with your search.
So, Bluetrain, I am looking for what you describe as your neighborhood for my two, school-age kids. We are NJ town shopping and will move from PA before the fall. What towns would you recommend for this?
hammy- you're really overthinking this - nearly all suburbs are like bluetrain described, despite the fact you not seeing it via a quick drive by. check your budget, housing and commuting requirements and find a town.
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Looking for suburb with kids playing outside
