Boxes, Creativity, and A Bunch of Imagination
/Kids love boxes.
I know I did.
Small ones, but especially LARGE ones.
The other day I returned home from Aldi with groceries and BOXES!
I put away the groceries and sat down to help a high schooler edit some writing. It was mid-afternoon, a perfect time for our children to enjoy exploration, adventure, and independent studies.
From the kitchen, I hear...
"Mom, can we use those boxes to build a phone booth?"
My mind was with my high school learner. I didn't have time to think about mess and such. So, I said yes and kept an ear out for the communications and happenings in the kitchen, you know, like moms do when "creativity" is happening.
An hour later I walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and check on "progress".
My kitchen was littered with cardboard pieces, shreds of paper, plastic inserts from a cookie package, more paper scraps, staples. And the kitchen table? YIKES!
Where would we eat dinner?
Mike came in the door not ten minutes later.
"Dad! Look at our phone!"
The phone had the makings of a coin slot, a receiver, and a timer to time calls!
What an afternoon these sisters had!
The kitchen was abuzz with excitement. I decided to allow dinner to take place elsewhere.
The next morning, math was done and I was working independently with an older learner. The enthusiastic builders were now hard at work in the living room.
Imagine my surprise when after the lesson with the older I walked into the living room and saw
A PHONE BOOTH!
They continued their learning adventure, making a price list with plastic coins so their sister who couldn't yet add coins could play, too. For the users who could add there were hand-written instructions.
Now, I will be honest. I did make a few trips to the living room after the initial booth was up and "bargaining" was taking place about who would use the booth and when it would be used. When negotiations needed navigating, I stepped in to help with problem solving and conflict resolution.
Two days ago, when my learners asked to make a phone booth, I could never imagined all they would learn and practice in the process: geometry and physics in the construction, math and spelling in the user details, collaboration, problem solving, interpersonal communication skills.
And it all began with some boxes, a question, and a bunch of imagination.
Are there boxes in your house today?
Wonder what they may be?
