50 Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) by Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler is at first shocking and then an eye opener. It took a lot of mental exercise for me to fully embrace some of the activities in this book because as a Mother my first reaction to anything remotely dangerous for my children is to say, “No, don’t do that!!” Leave it to my 13 year old son that would say, “How do you know that will happen?” Obviously it’s because my siblings and I would have been experts at these activities and probably could have written a sequel to the book. The knowing what happens in certain situations is what keeps me guarded at times. Where one part of me knows that in certain situations these are important ‘lessons’ kids should embrace in order to master their fears, as Gever Tulley explains, the other part is Mama Bear.
As the middle child of five children who would have seemed like real life characters from Lord of the Flies to outsiders, these activities were (in my era) nothing surprising.
- Lick a 9-volt battery
- Stick Your Hand out the Window
- Throw a Spear
- Drop from High Places
- Walk Home from School
- Squash Pennies on a Railroad Track
- Make a Slingshot
- Climb a Tree
- Dive in a Dumpster
These are both chapters in the book and relatively normal things for a child who grew up in the world I had. However, in 2011 I am always surprised by other parents and then myself on how protective we are. This book had first shown me that I had never let my son experience these things I felt were inane or dangerous and then it taught me how to let go of my fear so that he could learn how to conquer his; most of which I imagine is because I had unknowingly placed those on his heart.
The book comes with two introductions, one for children and one for grown-ups; both of which explain the whys of the book and what each activity will teach you. Why let your child superglue his fingers together? There is an answer. Gever Tulley is right, how will we be able to raise great thinkers if we do not let them embrace the, “I wonder what happens if I…” How will our children learn to think through problems, find solutions and figure out puzzles if we are always hovering and saying, “Don’t do that! Don’t do that! Don’t do that!” I had learned a great many things by experiencing what I had as a child as well as created memories that have shaped who I have become, so as I said… the book was at first shocking and then an eye opener. I see my 13 year old unable to think out certain problems I find very simple, it’s not natural for them to think: “If this doesn’t work, what about this.” I may never know if that is because I have always been so protective or if that is just a part of his nature, but I realized it was past time I let him experiment with the world he will be walking into as an adult in four years.
We were careful doing the activities we chose, but we had a lot of fun and I joined in as if I were young again myself. From licking batteries to blowing up marshmallows in the microwave and sword fighting, we had a great time. The book is drawn up like a science experiment book and comes with a page for notes to fill in about the experience and also in the back there is a place where you can create your own. I thought long and hard about something crazy I’d done as a child that remained a part of me and wrote in our new activity: Walk Barefoot Through a Creek. My son asked me what “Walk Barefoot Through a Creek” was supposed to teach him and I said, to trust your feet and know where to step. “Sometimes you’ll slip”, I told him, “but it’ll teach you to make wise choices on the path you are going and to trust your instincts.”
This book is a wise choice to choose this summer. It will not only place a mirror before you, but also give you some insane fun with your family.
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I received samples for the purpose of reviewing. Opinions expressed are my own or my families and are not influenced by any form of compensation. Take it or leave it. Click here to view my full acknowledgment policy.
