Maia Recommends: Kite Flying In Luneta Park

One of our household's biggest struggle after a very sedentary summer was finding outdoor activities that the little miss can genuinely enjoy.

Weekend food trips to the city usually end up with her tugging us relentlessly to go home. 

"This is boring, Mommy." (translated to: I need to get hold of my gadgets before school starts on Monday)

Today, we braved the city traffic once again to try a new activity - kite-making. The NCCA has been holding several activities (all weekends of June) in Luneta Park and this weekend was the last leg of their Arts in Public Places in Luneta series. 

We left home at a little after 1pm hoping to get ahead of the traffic congestion but ended up getting stuck anyway. We arrived in Luneta a few minutes after 3. We searched for Burnham Green but after being dropped off right in front of Jose Rizal's monument, we couldn't find the venue of the event. I approached a park guard and we were pointed towards a cluster of tents across the road. 

Sadly, the event was not publicized well. At 3:30, we were the first to register. We waited a few more minutes before we started making the kites. Nevertheless, when we started flying the kites, people started noticing the activity and a few more kites joined ours in the air.

I do hope the NCCA will continue to organize events like this which parents like me highly appreciate. We get to pry our technology, gadget-loving kids away from the couch and remind them that spending time outdoors is still so much fun. 

Watch video!

I myself didn't realize how relaxing and delightful kite-flying was until I got hold of the string and started maneuvering the kite to stay up in the air. 

"It's fun to steer, Mommy!"

We will come back soon. Luneta Park as night is yet another thing that we are looking forward to experience.

The larong pinoy and kite-making event still runs until July 17th. Do drop by and join! Click here for the event page: Larong Pinoy & Kite-Making. Like the National Commission for Culture and the Arts page as well to get updates of other government sponsored art activities around the metro.

My Kid Does Not Have An iPad....

But she has a great imagination! Beats any expensive gadget, agree?

Little miss labored on this for about 30 minutes and later handed it to me proudly saying: "Mommy, mukhang matagal pa ako mabibili ni Lolo (referring to my dad) ng iPad kaya gagamitin ko na lang muna imagination ko!"

Side story, we are gadget/TV-free on school days. I was a policy we loosely imposed at first when the little miss started going to formal school (aka traditional school). We wanted to also limit our TV viewing and since we are a household where one rule applies to all, we thought that by imposing this rule to the kid we would effectively cut our TV/gadget exposure ourselves. And we did! The rule is still loose (we had to make room for exceptions especially when we have my parents over) but what helps is us delaying to get cable TV subscription as well. We hope to delay until the kid is 7. Wish us good luck, okay? 

Don't ask me how she is with gadgets on weekends though. Because those days really reminds me how tough parenting is. But we always compromise. And I do hope we keep to that till the kid reaches her teenage years.