(I realize that for trademark reasons I should call it "disc golf". As Michael points out, however, "disc golf" does not slide off the tongue. And we all know what it really is.)
A new park opened up nearby recently, complete with a frisbee golf course. There are signs near the road: "Watch out for flying disks." There are goals along the road. And I wondered when it opened whether 6 year olds and 4 year olds could play. It turns out they can.
We have gone a couple times over the holidays. When my family plays (at least when the kids and I play together) frisbee golf turns out to be more a walk in the woods, with occasional throwing and chasing of frisbees. Amanda has gotten it into her head that she needs to hit the trees, which she does with some success. Eleanor tries to throw the frisbees long and straight, with some success. Even Luke knows what to do: he drops the frisbee in front of him and says, "yay!" He also knows that you're supposed to put the frisbee in the goal. It only takes him a few throws before he remembers that you're not supposed to bring the frisbee back to the person who threw it.
The other day we went with the kids' cousin. He is 5, and more sports-oriented than my gymnastics girls. He actually wanted to know the rules. He actually counted how many throws it took him to get to the goal. And, most amazing to me, he went from throwing the frisbee in random directions through the woods to throwing it straight down the fairway better than me in just 2 holes. I think Eleanor was frustrated by his ability. I probably shouldn't tell her, but she'll just have to get used to it...
We had the most fun on the last hole we played. Michael had warned us that the hole at the bottom of the steps was pretty muddy. When I looked down the long flight of steps, however, it really didn't look too bad and the kids were already rolling their frisbees down the hill. Amanda insisted on walking down the steep hill next to the steps, even when she slipped in the mud. I had to threaten to take away her frisbee to get her back on the steps. Luke enjoyed going down the steps, but wasn't too fast. This was why by the time my sister and I got to the bottom of the steps, both Anders' and Eleanor's frisbees were in the muddy ditch by the side of the fairway (picture a v-shape ditch about 4 feet deep and 5 feet across at the top). My sister used her yoga skills to get them out without actually having to go into the ditch, but by the time she got the second disk out, the first one was back in the ditch. We got that one out and then the second went right into the water by the narrower edge of the ditch.
By this point the mothers were getting pretty frustrated. I was trying to keep Luke from going head first into the ditch and trying to keep Amanda back from the edge so she didn't slide down on her bottom, so I wasn't very useful in retrieving frisbees. Anders was trying to get his frisbee out of the water with a stick, when Eleanor leaped across the ditch. She really didn't see any problem with this, and was able to grab the frisbee when Anders pushed it across to her. Then Anders jumped across.
Needless to say, we were pretty well finished with frisbee golf for the day. Everyone got safely up the hill. We forbade anyone from throwing frisbees again for the rest of the trip. ("But why?" asked Eleanor. Clearly she didn't understand why the mothers were so upset). But we did have a good time, it was good to get out of the house and into the woods. I'm looking forward to summer when it will be a bit drier, I hope.
A new park opened up nearby recently, complete with a frisbee golf course. There are signs near the road: "Watch out for flying disks." There are goals along the road. And I wondered when it opened whether 6 year olds and 4 year olds could play. It turns out they can.
We have gone a couple times over the holidays. When my family plays (at least when the kids and I play together) frisbee golf turns out to be more a walk in the woods, with occasional throwing and chasing of frisbees. Amanda has gotten it into her head that she needs to hit the trees, which she does with some success. Eleanor tries to throw the frisbees long and straight, with some success. Even Luke knows what to do: he drops the frisbee in front of him and says, "yay!" He also knows that you're supposed to put the frisbee in the goal. It only takes him a few throws before he remembers that you're not supposed to bring the frisbee back to the person who threw it.
The other day we went with the kids' cousin. He is 5, and more sports-oriented than my gymnastics girls. He actually wanted to know the rules. He actually counted how many throws it took him to get to the goal. And, most amazing to me, he went from throwing the frisbee in random directions through the woods to throwing it straight down the fairway better than me in just 2 holes. I think Eleanor was frustrated by his ability. I probably shouldn't tell her, but she'll just have to get used to it...
We had the most fun on the last hole we played. Michael had warned us that the hole at the bottom of the steps was pretty muddy. When I looked down the long flight of steps, however, it really didn't look too bad and the kids were already rolling their frisbees down the hill. Amanda insisted on walking down the steep hill next to the steps, even when she slipped in the mud. I had to threaten to take away her frisbee to get her back on the steps. Luke enjoyed going down the steps, but wasn't too fast. This was why by the time my sister and I got to the bottom of the steps, both Anders' and Eleanor's frisbees were in the muddy ditch by the side of the fairway (picture a v-shape ditch about 4 feet deep and 5 feet across at the top). My sister used her yoga skills to get them out without actually having to go into the ditch, but by the time she got the second disk out, the first one was back in the ditch. We got that one out and then the second went right into the water by the narrower edge of the ditch.
By this point the mothers were getting pretty frustrated. I was trying to keep Luke from going head first into the ditch and trying to keep Amanda back from the edge so she didn't slide down on her bottom, so I wasn't very useful in retrieving frisbees. Anders was trying to get his frisbee out of the water with a stick, when Eleanor leaped across the ditch. She really didn't see any problem with this, and was able to grab the frisbee when Anders pushed it across to her. Then Anders jumped across.
Needless to say, we were pretty well finished with frisbee golf for the day. Everyone got safely up the hill. We forbade anyone from throwing frisbees again for the rest of the trip. ("But why?" asked Eleanor. Clearly she didn't understand why the mothers were so upset). But we did have a good time, it was good to get out of the house and into the woods. I'm looking forward to summer when it will be a bit drier, I hope.
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