To begin, many Americans live in a house. Some families and individuals rent houses or apartments, especially in big cities, but I live in a house with my family.
Most Americans live in a neighborhood. Neighborhoods are areas designated for living, not working. Some neighborhoods are rural, have many trees, and lost of land. Others are urban, close to cities, and have many smaller houses close together.
In America, we generally have four seasons during the year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. In the fall, many trees in the north change color and lose their leaves. Families, and especially children, have fun raking the leaves into piles and playing together.
Fall is a fun time to be outside.
There are many places to play outside in America. We have many parks for young children, and even teenagers like to go and have fun at the park.
Eventually, fall turns into winter. In many parts of the United States, it snows in winter.
To go faster, they sometimes sit in inflatable tubes.
In winter it can become too cold to play outside, so many families play indoors as well!
Finally, the weather improves as spring arrives. At this time of year, plants begin to grow again and the snow melts away. This is a good time to see flowers. One year, my family visited Washington, DC to see the sakura trees in bloom.
Once again, many Americans will be outside during this time of year. There are many things to do. Children play outside.
In the spring, it is also time for farmers to plant crops. The United States has a very large farming industry, especially in the southwest region. There are many farmers that produce food for the country.
Families that own animals will cut the wool off the animals and sell it. There is a farm near my house that my family likes to visit and watch the animals be sheared.
It is fun to play with the animals too.
Many animals are born in the spring, so Americans like to go see them at the zoo. In Pittsburgh, we have The Pittsburgh Zoo which is famous for its aquarium.
Beginning in spring, many families like to take vacations. In Pittsburgh, we have a tour bus that drives tourists around the city. Because there are many rivers in my city, the bus also turns into a boat!
Once summer begins, many American kids have a three month break from school. During this break, they will spend time with their families or working. I have a summer birthday, so I always had a birthday party during summer break.
Birthday parties are a normal part of American home life. Some families choose to only invite members of the families to birthday parties. Most of the time, children get to invite all their school and neighborhood friends. Parties can have a special theme, or be at a cool place. The birthday boy or girl will receive birthday presents from everyone who comes, and everyone will eat cake.
Another popular sport begins in the summer... Baseball!
My family has loved going to baseball games since I was a little kid. Here we are in our hometown stadium.
My family vacationed at the beach together for many years.
Some adventurous kids even go boogie-boarding. This is where you have a small floating board that you sit on while riding the waves.
There are wild horses that live on the beaches of the eastern coast of the United States.
These horses sleep on the beach and can be quite beautiful to see, but don't get too close! They are wild animals protected by the government.
