Rural Living Entertainment

[UnseenEye]

I currently live in very rural area of Texas, with very little access to internet at dial-up speeds. I'm trying to find a cheap way to provide some entertainment for my younger kids. If anyone one has ideas I would love any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[MF283]

We went through our cell phone provider for internet service, couldn't get DSL , cable & dialup on the old land line was terrible.
Oops, you said cheap, it isn't the cheapest way, guess you could buy one of those XBOX things, or show them how to make a stick horse, much better than sitting inside anyway.

Ronnie

 

[300UGUY]

The lack of broadband access can be a problem in selling a home here.

 

[square1]

Have you tried antenna TV? I got an old monster TV antenna that someone getting cable was going to throw out and hung it in the rafters above my garage. I get as many channels as I had with basic cable from cities up to 50~60 miles away.

 

[oosik]

I have an idea. I was a kid loooong before TV, Internet, Facebook, XBOX or ANY other modern day electronic devices. While inside we played board games, drew pictures, played card games or helped our parents with household chores. I built model airplanes and learned how to carve animals from blocks of wood. I built fantastic mechanical devices from my Erector set - I learned wood burning to make wonderful pictures. We would listen to the radio - Lone Ranger, Tom Mix, the Shadow - but sadly all those programs have died with the past. I learned how to take and process pictures with a film camera. I learned Morse Code and how to operate a simple Ham radio. I built my own Ham radio from a Heath Kit. I learned how to build and erect my own wire Ham radio antennae.

I started seeds in pots, in the house, that would later be transplanted to the family garden plot.

You have the great opportunity to teach your children that all entertainment need not come from modern electronics.

 

[crash325]

You didn't say how old the children are. be helpful to know.

it's more of an opportunity or blessing than anything. why get them hooked on TV or electric gadgets.

Take them fishing, build a tree house, even if all they do is hand you nails. May slow down progress, so what, its a learning experience. Take them in the shop with you. Have them find & hand you wrenches. & so on. Its memories that will last them a lifetime.

If its to cold outside or in the shop, board games, card games, hide & seek & so on. Teach them how to cook, read books to them.

The list of things to do & learn is almost endless. Young minds soak up information very quickly & it will stay with them their whole life.

 

[Egon]

Start a hand milked dairy farm!

 

[dieselcrawler]

I have an idea. I was a kid loooong before TV, Internet, Facebook, XBOX or ANY other modern day electronic devices. While inside we played board games, drew pictures, played card games or helped our parents with household chores. I built model airplanes and learned how to carve animals from blocks of wood. I built fantastic mechanical devices from my Erector set - I learned wood burning to make wonderful pictures. We would listen to the radio - Lone Ranger, Tom Mix, the Shadow - but sadly all those programs have died with the past. I learned how to take and process pictures with a film camera. I learned Morse Code and how to operate a simple Ham radio. I built my own Ham radio from a Heath Kit. I learned how to build and erect my own wire Ham radio antennae.

I started seeds in pots, in the house, that would later be transplanted to the family garden plot.

You have the great opportunity to teach your children that all entertainment need not come from modern electronics.

X2...

While I may have grown up as Al Gore was (thinking he was) inventing the Internet, we had limited outside world exposure. My parents did not own a TV until I was 15, and then it was only hooked up to a VHS tape player. My sister and I were homeschooled... our classroom was wherever we were, the kitchen table (home ec), the front yard(science), the local grocery store (math), the local hardware store (shop class), the hay field (drivers ed). You don't have to entertain a child, just let them be involved in every day life, answer their questions, let them be 'hands on', and a well rounded young person this will make.

We currently have satellite TV, Internet access... and are almost ready to drop them both. The cost is outrageous, and the kids are addicted... time for change. I value the Internet for research and communication reasons, but not as a mindless entertainment tool for children, much the same as I view TV.

 

[Budweiser John]

I have an idea. I was a kid loooong before TV, Internet, Facebook, XBOX or ANY other modern day electronic devices. While inside we played board games, drew pictures, played card games or helped our parents with household chores. I built model airplanes and learned how to carve animals from blocks of wood. I built fantastic mechanical devices from my Erector set - I learned wood burning to make wonderful pictures. We would listen to the radio - Lone Ranger, Tom Mix, the Shadow - but sadly all those programs have died with the past. I learned how to take and process pictures with a film camera. I learned Morse Code and how to operate a simple Ham radio. I built my own Ham radio from a Heath Kit. I learned how to build and erect my own wire Ham radio antennae.

I started seeds in pots, in the house, that would later be transplanted to the family garden plot.

You have the great opportunity to teach your children that all entertainment need not come from modern electronics.

Ah yes. I also grew up in a like time frame when the only electronic entertainment was the radio or a postage sized TV that only got one local channel and signed off at sundown.
I was never much into organized sports but I don't recall there was the socker mania of today back in the '40 and '50s. I put together dozens of "Heath Kits" and learned a ton of "how to" skills from my late father. Dad had a modest wood working shop in the basement where things were repaired or created and at the tender age of 10 or so I was allowed to use the table saw and other power tools. The only caviot in using the power tools was an adult must be at home. I suspect my parents figured if something went sour I had a better survival rate.
Fast forward 65 years. Moved from city living to rural living 41 years ago, raised two children to adulthood and along the way both kids learned food doesn't come from a grocery store and winter comfort grows on trees. Livestock needs to be fed every day and every thing has a life cycle.
Some years ago, my son who I recall must have been in his early teens commented: "kits that live in the city must be really board".
I suspect that comment sums up the matter pretty well.

B. John

 

[NoTrespassing]

We've got a 4 year old son that my wife has been home schooling since he was able to start learning. He can read remarkably well and knows his times tables all the way to 12's. Whenever he asks to watch a cartoon or play with his mother's tablet, we have him answer a few math questions first.

When weather permits he loves playing outside with our two 70 lb. dogs and driving his battery dune buggy around the place. He helps his mother in the garden a lot and he's a great "go fer" too.

Kevin

 

[rekees4300]

"I'm trying to find a cheap way to provide some entertainment for my younger kids."

Be careful what you wish for because you may get it. My Grandson (now 10) grew up watching Grand Thief Auto and other video game garbage. Needless to say his brain is totally F'd up. He can't distinguish between reality from video games.

 

[Gunny]

Get them interested in reading books. As others have mentioned, when I was young, we only had 3 TV channels to watch and Dad was the highest priority on which channel was on at the time. Rather than watch Lawrence Welk, I'd just sit on the couch and read a book.

Anytime it was too dark, cold or wet to play outside, I'd usually have a book in my hand unless we were playing Scrabble to Monopoly with Mom in the kitchen.

It became a life long habit, I still love reading.

 

[jerrybob]

Like others say......get them outside........sports......gardening.......just ole playin around. Reading inside can be a real pleasure and fun. It is a shame kids today need all those electronic gizmo's to have fun and entertain themselves. Tell them to go build a fort......or a treehouse. Fishing or hunting is a great thing to teach them. More families need to be without the internet and smart phones.

 

[George2615]

I agree with most of the others and this reminded me of this story about seniors and the younger generation.

SENIORS

A very self-important college freshman attending a recent football game took
it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was​ ​
impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

"You ​grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one,'" the​ ​
student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. "The young​ ​people
of today are much more advanced than people your age. We grew up with​ ​
television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon and the Internet.​ ​
We have cell phones, nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers,​ ​
automated manufacturing, amazing technologies,..." and he paused to take​ ​
another drink of beer.

The​ ​senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and said,​ ​
"You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young ... so​ ​we
invented them. Now, you arrogant little s***, what are YOU doing for​ the next
generation?"

The applause was resounding.

I love senior citizens (Maybe it's because I are one!)

Most kids today have no imagination or willpower to do something useful with their time.

 

[bigtiller]

I remember spending my summers playing in the crick. It was half a mile walk through the corn field to get there but I had the whole world to to save when I got there.

Bicycle riding used up a lot of time also.

 

[Alien]

Some great Karaoke sets available. They are quite popular with kids (and adults)

 

[MossRoad]

I currently live in very rural area of Texas, with very little access to internet at dial-up speeds. I'm trying to find a cheap way to provide some entertainment for my younger kids. If anyone one has ideas I would love any suggestions.

Thanks

Books. Outdoors. Animals. Libraries have all kinds of A/V stuff on DVD, too.

But I'll tell ya, they are going to need electronic communications skills as they get older. Its essential to learn keyboarding, internet usage, how to look things up, how to deal with things you see that you shouldn't see (some adults need that training, too). I can't think of a local school here that doesn't do something with online learning, parent's access to school records/functions/calendar, etc.... just a fact of the times. We have friend's whose kids didn't have good internet access AND were attending crappy local schools... double whammy. The kids are really, really struggling in college now.

Small game systems with time limits and educational games VS shoot 'em ups.

We had a really fun typing tutor in game format on the PC that both our kids learned to type on. They learned so well, that we got some free after-school care because our kids would go do keyboard work for the school office after school.... we're talking about 6th graders typing faster than the adults. :laughing:

 

[hslogger]

Get em some baby chicks. build a chicken house. get a puppy. Get a pair of rabbits. start gardening in pots or large old containers

 

[roadhunter]

I always get a kick out of these. You live in a really rural part of Houston TX? LOL. Hard to be in a very rural area with millions of folks nearby IMO.

As to your problem simply turn on your smart phone's wifi when the kids are up so they can use their devices or get some other sort of cell tower internet. I also live in a very rural area (less than 100k people within 2 hours) and use cell tower internet for streaming.

 

[stuckmotor]

Net Flix still ships DVDs through the mail.