Doc Highlights the Lost Art of Playing Outside

This week a fashion designer built sustainable communities in Africa, a weatherman toured the country on a feel good gift giving spree, and a star-studded documentary encouraged kids to go outside and play.  Here are this week's most inspirational pop culture moments.


New York Street Games, a new documentary narrated by Hector Elizondo, features a wide array of notables like Ray Romano, C. Everett Koop, Joe "Joey Pants" Pantoliano, Regis Philbin, and Curtis Sliwa. It takes a look at the games kids used to play out in front of their own homes.

The film tells of a world before cell phones, the internet, XBox, and PSP when kids had to find entertainment all on their own. They used pink Spaulding balls, big pieces of chalk, old broom handles, and even their own bodies to play stickball, stoopball, kick the can, Johnny on a pony, and hopscotch.

The celebs reminisce about the games they played on the city sidewalks. It celebrates an era when there was a sense of community in every neighborhood, streets were safe for kids, childhood obesity was a rarity, and imagination was king. As Ray Romano puts it, "You were your own Nintendo."

The best part about the DVD? Every purchase includes a copy of the Street Games Rulebook, so you can relive the glory days and teach your kids the ropes behind games like boxball, slapball, and skully.

Purchase the DVD at Amazon or visit the official New York Street Games' website.













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