Salt Lake: A Strange (and cool) Place to Live

Since moving to Utah, I've noticed some strange things about life for kids here.  I'm from a small town in Southern Illinois and so some of the differences have to do with growing up in a city.  For instance, there are groups of skateboarders who hang out in the city parks.  In Edwardsville, where I grew up, there were about three kids who owned skateboards and there was only one park, so there wasn't a lot of skateboarding.  

A lot of other cities have good skateboard scenes, but other behaviors I've noticed seem to be unique to Utah or Salt Lake City.  The most noticeable of these isn't something that affects grade schools much, but I have noticed that older kids, in middle and high school have a creative way of asking each other out on dates.  

My sister went to school in Utah from 7th grade on. She was once asked out with a picture puzzle.  She had to assemble the pieces to see who it was that wanted to go to a school dance with her.  She replied with undeveloped film.  The boy in question had to process it before he knew she'd said yes.  

I've heard of cars being stuffed with balloons, one of which contains a note asking someone on a date.  I've heard of cakes being baked “Napoleon Dynamite” style, and once of someone concealing a request in a block of cheese.  The more creative the ask, the better seems to be the rule.

The same seems to be true for younger kids in the Salt Lake Valley when it comes to recess activities.  One popular game on the playground at Stansbury Elementary is creating an obstacle course to navigate out of cones, hurdles and other materials.  Kids spend hours creating the challenges and then running through them.  There doesn't appear to be any score-keeping.  They're doing for the sheer joy of building.  

Meadowlark Elementary began playing 9-square (a variation of 4-square) last week. Heartland Elementary in the Jordan School District was recently included in a Salt Lake Tribune article with pictures of a unique game called footy tether ball in which students play without the use of their hands.  

I've decided to honor this ingenious spirit with a call to Salt Lakers.  I'm asking, today for two lists.  

One:  What's the quirkiest thing you've noticed about living in Salt Lake

and

Two:  What's the most creative or unique playground game you've heard of or played.  

Please leave responses in the comments section of this post.