Small Gestures Matter: ATA's Kid’s Archery Activity Book Hits the Bullseye

Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for all of us. It is rare when something truly impacts everyone’s day-to-day lives, and this is one of those times. For some it may be the minor inconvenience of having to wear a mask when entering a public place, and for others it is having to say goodbye to a loved one who succumbed to the virus, and sadly in many cases, being unable to be by their side due to the risk of infection.

While this is an unprecedented challenge in modern times, there have been uplifting stories of triumph and kindness. It has also been a time of being reminded of the importance of family, and maybe a little bit about how unimportant it might be to make sometimes long commutes to jobs that it turns out can be done from the comfort of your home. How many people participated in or even knew about Zoom meetings before the pandemic, but are now expert users that compete to see who can come up with the coolest background? Our world has changed, but it hasn’t stopped, and people seem to be adapting in creative ways.

Zoom meetings with some of my colleagues have been quite entertaining. Over the last few weeks, I saw cats climbing on people’s desks, a mother coming into the nursery to change a newborn, and even participated in a virtual happy hour meeting with beverages in hand. Beyond the fun, it has been refreshing to see many of the people I work with regularly in their home environment and it’s a reminder that all of us have lives outside of our jobs that deserve our time. That can be easily forgotten when life is clipping along at its usual pace and the line between work time and family time can be blurred.

I have a three-year-old son whose life has also been burdened by the pandemic. I’m not sure he has any idea that there’s something scary happening but what he does understand is he hasn’t been able to go to the playground or have play time with other kids his age for several weeks. He has probably also figured out that we haven’t been to a restaurant or other public place as a family for a long time, and that about the most excitement we have is when we go for a walk, or a drive if the weather isn’t suitable. Keeping him entertained has been challenging, but thanks to a thoughtful gesture by the Archery Trade Association (ATA) recently, it was made a little easier.

My son loves the alphabet and coloring, and while I cannot say he grasps what being an outdoorsman is all about he certainly shows interest in my hunting and fishing gear and various pieces of taxidermy. In recent weeks he started to sit on my lap while I tie flies and seems to be genuinely interested in it. Since the National Deer Alliance is a member of ATA, I get regular email updates from the group and on April 16 I got one that immediately caught my attention. The title was, Another Free Archery Bowhunting Activity Book for Kids. The following is from the email:

Share the ATA’s newest resource, an archery and bowhunting-themed A through Z Coloring and Writing Activity Book, on your website and social-media channels to help your customers entertain their children during quarantine. The book also reminds folks about your archery business and keeps archery and bowhunting front of mind.

The Coloring and Writing Activity Book introduces kids to a popular archery and bowhunting term for each letter of the alphabet. They can trace and write each term in the space provided, as well as color the corresponding image.

We immediately downloaded the book and printed it in booklet style knowing that he would love it, and we were right! Within seconds he was headed for his Crayons with a big smile on his face. While most things designed to entertain toddlers tend to be short-lived, he carried his new activity book around with him for a week and it is still among his favorites. Not only has he enjoyed coloring and learning to write the alphabet, it has given me a chance to talk to him about the various elements of archery along the way. What a wonderful teaching tool!

During challenging times like now even the smallest of kind gestures can make an impact. ATA’s archery Coloring and Writing Activity Book brought a smile to my son’s face and has been keeping him entertained, and if you have young children at home, I’m betting it will be a hit with them as well. I want to thank ATA for taking the time to provide the activity book to its members, and I’m happy to pass it on to NDA members. I ask that you also pass it along to someone who you think might enjoy it. ATA has been a longtime supporter of the National Deer Alliance, and I encourage you to learn more about all the things the group does for archery, hunting, and conservation at archerytrade.org.