A broken arm in the middle of summer holidays is not a welcome event. In addition to the initial physical pain there is the disappointment of interrupted plans. Swimming, amusement parks, and sports leagues are all out, and even, in the case of our daughter, the cancellation of a week long youth group trip that involved construction work. The prospect of four weeks with a cast stretched out long and bleak ahead of us on day one of the accident.
On Day 2, after a marathon session catching up on the entertaining series Poldark, S decided she had spent enough time watching television. So we googled "stuff to do with a broken arm." The wikihow list was the best, I thought. We started to make a few plans.
Day 1: A brief smile from S in the ER, about two hours after she fell off her bike.
Day Two: A frustrating two hour wait at the orthopaedic doctor's office resulted in a proper cast, a definite improvement. S discovered that her ability to inhale a cinnamon roll from Panera remained fully intact.
Day 3: A friend came to visit, and I rejoiced to hear lots of giggling. The girls watched You Tube videos, made popcorn and played board games.
Day 4: I decided this was the perfect opportunity to introduce S to one of my favorite series: Pride and Prejudice--the five hour version. We celebrated the end of another day with a family walk to our favorite ice cream shop
Day 5: We went to a family work event for R that involved carnival games and an outdoor movie. Happily all games were playable with a broken arm: corn hole toss, ladder ball, and bocce. Our family did so well in the bocce tournament, in fact, that we walked away with tickets to a local waterslide park: to be visited after the cast comes off! S also managed to fit in badminton and one-handed basketball shots.
Day 6: A friend came for a sleepover, and the girls spent their time in the kitchen, producing home made waffles, two scratch cakes (one chocolate, one vanilla) and cut out cookies. I was so busy cleaning up after them that I have no photos to include.
Day 7: We drove to grandma's house, where S has been busy coloring and cutting with two younger, appreciative cousins, baking with her great-grandmother, and even sneaking in an hour floating in the swimming pool. All in all, the first week post-fracture passed more pleasantly than I would have guessed on Day 1.
Here is our daughter's Top-Ten List of "Things for Kids to do with a Broken Arm in Summer"
1. Make delicious things in the kitchen. (She has needed some help lifting the heavy stand mixer, but otherwise has managed quite well creating things for her appreciative family members to eat.)
2. Hang out with sympathetic friends.
3. Spend time with cousins, particularly ones who adore you enough to make pretend casts of their own.
4. Go to grandma's house and enjoy the extra love and attention.
5. Play badminton.
6. Practice one-handed basketball shots.
7. Find a carnival or county fair with games like corn hole, ladder ball and bocce.
8. Watch movies and/or television series with mom, particularly if she usually says she is too busy for such things.
9. Go on hikes in nearby state parks, or better yet, take a walk that involves stopping for an ice cream cone.
10. Play all of your favorite card games and board games.
This summer hasn't turned out exactly the way she had hoped, but I would say that she is not only surviving, she is thriving.
Very creative ways to stay active, even if it is one-armed! Way to go Sophie! ( isn't Google great?!!)
Posted by: janet | 07/23/2015 at 05:42 AM
Happy to hear a broken arm has not stopped Sophie doing lots of things she loves to do.
Posted by: Marilyn Gooey | 07/23/2015 at 05:42 PM
Nice to see how well you are surviving this recent mishap. Had my right wrist broken a few years ago and had to find new ways to do things. The hardest thing to do was fixing my hair! By your smile it looks like you are not bothered by this mishap like some would think. Will you have the cast for six weeks? Will be so nice to see you soon! Grandma and Grandad Wilkin
Posted by: Judith Wilkin | 07/25/2015 at 02:45 AM
After spending some time with S., Sarah has been playing "broken arm".
Posted by: Shanda | 08/03/2015 at 10:21 PM