Estate Living Magazine Connection - Issue 43 July 2019 | Page 41

C O M M U N I T Y
Offering adventures and activities is not just a great idea for the
younger generation but provides opportunities for parents to spend
time with their kids in their environment doing things that they love.
As the old saying goes … how do you spell love? T.I.M.E.
Tessa Buhrman
I
• What about street cricket? Set up a mini-IPL where teams
compete in limited-over games over a period of a few days
ending with the four best teams playing off for a cool prize. Or, if
you dare, you can make the rules a tad more fluid, and allow for
the possibility of every ‘cricket’ match ending up as Calvinball –
a game played by Calvin and Hobbes in the eponymous comic
strip. The only rule of Calvinball is that it can’t be played the same
way twice. This can be a fabulous spectator sport so it can be
quite a social event with non-players enjoying a picnic on the
sidelines.
• Another great spectator sport is quidditch – a game with which
Harry Potter fans will be very familiar, as it’s been played in the
wizarding world for over 1,000 years. Real quidditch is a bit tricky
if you can’t fly a broomstick, but Muggle Quidditch, which has
a surprisingly large international following, takes that limitation
into account. It is played astride a broomstick, but players are
permitted to keep their feet on the ground. A quidditch court
would certainly set your estate apart.
• What about letting them get their hands dirty by establishing a
veggie garden, complete with salad greens, herbs and snackable
veggies? Those less inclined to dig in can build scarecrows in
funky clothes and wind chimes adorned with glitter and sparkly
sequins to dissuade the resident wildlife from foraging.
• Following on from this, how about offering cooking classes
followed by a MasterChef evening where the teens can cook
and bake to their hearts’ content, and provide a banquet for their
proud parents? You never know, there may be another Jamie
Oliver lurking in your midst.
• If you’re a pet-friendly estate, perhaps set up a Pooch Parade,
where residents can sign up for communal dog walks along the
streets and communal areas – imagine the cool pooch insta-
moments this would create … keeping the obligatory poop-
scoop and plastic bag well out of the frame!
• Or what about an Insta-scavenger hunt? Where a list of ‘items’
need to be found and photographed … these could be themed
and played over a few days. Themes could be around nature
– identifying and photographing different trees on your eco-
estate; architecture – different elements of buildings; food, and
even just fun.
• Establish a holiday school – not the boring kind where maths and
science are studied, but where fun things like making movies,
photography and creative writing are the subjects. All things that
encourage the teens to get outdoors and practice their new-
found skills. This could be followed by a fun evening of ‘show and
tell’ where parents get to watch the movies, ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over
the photographs and listen to short stories and poetry readings.
Not only does this keep the teens busy and out of mischief, but
they’re learning new skills and growing in confidence.
• Golf estates could have fun night golf evenings – where parents
team up with their teens armed only with a few golf clubs,
luminous golf balls and a head torch. Sound too complicated?
Then perhaps adventure golf is an option – it’s a hoot. Played
with only one club (and obviously no golf carts), it’s scored
on both strokes and time. Or if you’ve got the space set up a
mashie course where the love of golf can be nurtured in a less
intimidating environment.
L I V I N G