When I was growing up, the cool thing was Atari, then NES. I wanted an Atari so badly. Instead, my parents bought me a bike. Several bikes actually. So instead of playing Atari, my brother and I played outside. We rode our bikes, built forts in the woods and terroized the neighborhood. Eventually we convinced our parents to buy us an NES for Christmas. For four months we never put the controller down. And then it happened, we finished Super Mario Brothers. What next? Oh, of course, they make other games. However, the games are not cheap, and my parents were. So, the NES collected dust and we continued our terroizing of the neighborhood.
At the age of 37, after stopping with a friend at an obscure estate sale in the middle of nowhere, I found an Atari, still in its orginal box. I quickly handed the gentleman $50 and brought my prize home. I had waited almost 30 years for this moment, and now I had it. In all honesty, I have played this jewel 4 times since the Fall of 2013. Instead, I prefer being outside, in my hammock, riding my bike, hiking or running a trail or exploring and getting lost. But most importantly, I teach this to my son, because, there is nothing that I appreciate more than being outdoors. So get up from your chair, get your kids out from in front of the TV and take them hiking and exploring. There is so much more to learn than an Atari or NES will ever teach them.