Take your children to a cemetary
 

I like to take my kids to cemetaries. They are catalysts for such wonderful discussions. For example, we have a small military cemetary close to our house, surrounded by woods and the sea. We have walked through it from time to time in their different stages of development, and I have noticed how they approach the place with wonderfully appropriate reverence (my kids tend to be hell raisers). They are always eager to go there.

Last time I was there with the 7 year old we talked about the symbolism of the cross, the various wars, mathematics (as he puzzled through the dates), and of course death and the cosmos. There are graves of an Italian POW and a German POW who died at the nearby base (now mostly state park, and closing, about to be wound up). The Italian was lynched in a locally infamous event, and we have discussed that, including that WWII was a lot about our enemies torturing and killing their POW's and Americans treating them decently, this being one of the exceptions. Hence, the Italian has the biggest headstone of all, as we honor his martyrdom.

There is a large cemetary on Capital Hill (Seattle) that seems to be a favored resting place for wealthy immigrants and their descendants. It is teeming with buddist shrines, Russian Orthodox crosses, and so on. There are graves dating back to the mid-19th century, and Confederate and Union civil war veterans interred. There are actually family mausoleums with Classical motifs and huge monuments for individual graves. I like to take them there in the summers.

Try it sometime. It's a nice contrast to Chuck-E-Cheeze's.

My kids hold their breath when we drive by a cemetary.

Good place to teach them that this life is all there is, and when you die, that is finis.

Good work.

Good place to teach them not to fear death. I don't think fearing death is a very productive sentiment.

You should write a book on free things to do with kids. Going to landfills might also be a worthy outing.

Bean Museum

I play that Disney World Haunted Mansion theme song every time we pass a cemetery. MP3 players are cool.

If you don't think putting on a moon suit and going to a land fill for a few hours would be fascinating I feel sorry for you. You might learn more there about your culture than on CNN. The rats alone would mesmerize (if you had the right weapon to keep them at a safe distance).

"Kids, do you think any of these people, when on their deathbeds, lamented that they had too much sex with too many people? No way."

Speaking of free... In case you didn't know the Memphis Zoo is free on Tuesday afternoons, as are the Lichterman, Pink Palace and the Botanic Gardens. The Civil Rights Museum is free on Monday afternoons. I miss Memphis.