A World of Creative Play

The most important things in life cannot be communicated in mere words.  Art is the vehicle to evoke feelings, emotions and ideas, to describe the indescribable.  Working with visual elements somehow taps into the subconscious, and if you’re lucky illuminating discoveries are made.  Children may not understand this, but their natural instincts compel them to communicate, explore and process the world through art.

When first learning to communicate children rely on visual cues to understand so it is quite natural for them to express themselves visually.  Creative ideas, emotions & profound revelations can emerge from the creation of original art (painting, sculpture, poetry, music, dance).  And the artwork of Children is essential to healthy development, physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/maryann-kohl-importance-of-art/379002442/ 

Having some structure, a starting point or something to respond to, is sometimes helpful in art.  Often my daughter enjoyed creating original works of art on a blank sheet and it was amazing, but occasionally she preferred to respond to images in a coloring book.  We also draw together at times, responding to each others marks.  This is not only great fun, but also a wonderful bonding experience.

The first generic three-dimensional art toys I made for my daughter stimulated her creative imagination in a very different way than any of the two-dimensional forms. Rather than lines on a page she was responding to three-dimensional geometry.  This is a very real, tactile and physical experience. 

The three-dimensional art project engages the creative mind on another level of complexity that involves movement.  The whole picture may not be viewed from one angle; in fact the visual changes every few degrees in every direction.  This is why I have heard from parents of very active children amazed at the time their kids spend, engaged with these toys.

Art is all about relationships between shapes, colors and lines.  Scale, proportion, size, intensity, position, detail, movement, speed and weight all factor in how the elements relate within the art object.  In art school we always talked about PLAYING with the visual elements to see what “worked”.  Art is an ongoing experiment of trial and error, action, observation, analysis and revision.  Art is play and play is learning.  Three-dimensional art projects are engaging for individual artists or groups of artists of any age.

The value of three-dimensional art projects for kids is difficult to put into words, but experiencing it leaves no doubt about the profound developmental benefits.  It’s also just plain fun.

Our whole family LOVES the Olympics, but we really try to minimize our screen time.  For two and a half weeks these ideals were in conflict and the Olympics won. One Saturday I had to make a stand and extract myself from the couch (despite my fascination with Water Polo) and get my daughter outside.  We weeded the garden then got camping chairs, water, snacks and a pocketknife out in the back yard. 

We talked about pocketknife safety, campfires, birds, bugs and anything else that popped into our heads while we whittled.  My daughter loved this as our activities and discussion organically sprang from both of us.  She dubbed this “Camp Learn-a-Lot” and has made it a ritual on the weekends that takes a different form every time.  It may be an art project, or a performance or a hike, but it is time that we do things together.  Sometimes even mommy is allowed to join in. 

It’s easy to forget with our scheduled lives that the best thing one can do is just spend time with kids.  As a parent it is important to remember that being in control of everything all the time is not necessary.  The most important conversations can take place during those times that are unscheduled and “unproductive”.  We seem to learn more when we are not trying so hard to learn (or teach).    

I had recently viewed a TED Talk entitled “Gever Tully 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do”, which inspired me to break out he pocketknife and teach my daughter about knife safety.  There were some other fun ideas in the video about how parents can give kids guidelines for taking risks while learning skills.  

http://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_on_5_dangerous_things_for_kids.html

Kids have less time to run around the neighborhood with friends or play by themselves like we did when I was a kid.  Unstructured time is very important to healthy development.  The thing that was less common in my day was; parents playing with their kids on their terms.  So when their friends are unavailable there is an opportunity to play with your children and learn, a lot.  I recommend starting your own “Camp Learn-a-Lot” with your kids.  You may just learn something.                                                               ~Dave Berglund

As an artist, builder, craftsman and do-it yourselfer I understand the compulsion to look at something and say, I can do that.  I expect that this may be the case when DIYers see the Everythingland™ Mailbox and Silly Signs.  I know a few people quite capable of making their own cardboard mailbox, but quite a few more that are not for a variety of reasons.  First on that list is usually lack of time.

Before attempting to make a mailbox please consider what goes into the design and construction of the Everythingland™ Mailbox that makes it special.  As a professional designer I went through a painstaking process to create a functional, sturdy, safe and attractive toy for children of all ages to decorate and play with.  Twenty-four unique prototypes were constructed during the design process addressing different design and construction issues.

                                                                                                                                                          The decision comes down to quality and how you prefer to spend your time.  I can tell you first hand that the art project of decorating the mailbox is extremely fun and rewarding and can take a considerable amount of time.  The construction of the mailbox however is less fun, as it is more strenuous, detailed and exacting and requires more time and effort than you might expect.

The Original Mailbox and Silly Sign I made for my daughter were quite different from the ones we make for you today.  She had loads of fun with them and they lasted for years, but the design flaws were apparent from the beginning.  It was quite tippy and the door hinge and latching mechanism did not last.  There were sharp corners and edges as a result of being made from illustration board rather than corrugated cardboard.  The result of the extensive design process for the Everythingland™ Mailbox is a sturdy high quality toy ready to be personalized.

It’s Spring time and my thoughts turn to when I was teaching my daughter to ride a bike without training wheels.

My daughter is very strong willed and confident, which is great except when I am trying to teach her something like how to ride a bike without training wheels.  I’m old school with dad running alongside steadying the bike from behind until child works up enough speed balance and confidence to ride off into the sunset.  That did not work with my daughter.  What did work was new school.

She is ready to go, but as soon as I put my hand on the bike she says; “Daddy I can do it myself!”  So my daughter proceeds to raise one foot then the other, then puts the first foot down again, lifts it up and puts the other down again and again and again.  If I touch the bike or speak she repeats, “No daddy, I can do it myself!” or “I don’t need any help!”

After what seems like a decade, but is in fact ten minutes I am ready to go home.  I suggest we look on the internet to see how other kids learn to ride on two wheels.  This sounds reasonable to her so we head home.  To my surprise the old school videos I am expecting are not there, but what I do find is even better.  My child has been riding on training wheels for over a year so she knows how to pedal and brake.  She also vaguely understands what happens when she turns the handlebars.  What she does not know is how to balance and turn without training wheels.

The videos recommend removing the pedals from the bike and lowering the seat.  Even for the mechanically disinclined this is very easy.  After this is done the child can be seated on the bike with both feet touching the ground. With no pedals in the way, they can use their feet to scoot around on the bike. (see linked videos)  http://bit.ly/L7mdrm  For a longer step by step approach watch this video. http://bit.ly/JQNFHh

I was able to spend 10 minutes with my daughter talking to her about balancing.  We started out in the ice rink at the park, which is covered with asphalt in the warm months.  A vacant parking lot would also be a good place to start.

In the beginning she was walking her bike along at a slow pace.  Then she built up some speed and practiced raising her feet and coasting short distances.

Once she got the hang of it we moved to the asphalt trails circling the park.  The trails were perfect as they had curves and gentle slopes, which allowed her to coast for long stretches and practice turning.  At this point I became a spectator and she was having the time of her life.  We probably could have put the pedals on the next day but instead returned to the park for two more days practicing her scooting.

The next day she insisted we put the pedals back on, she was ready.  On my bike with my video camera I was ready to record her maiden voyage.  She took off so fast I had trouble catching up with her to record it on film.

Bicycling is now one of her favorite activities and we bike together as a family often.  Three years later she has a big girl bike and our favorite excursion is to the neighborhood ice cream parlor via the bike trails.  It is wonderful to see her confidence and feeling of independence when she rides her bike.

                                                                                                                            ~ Dave Berglund

 What is Fun?  To most the answer to this question would seem very subjective.  It would appear that different people have different ideas about what fun is.  On the surface this may be true, but with a little digging the core elements for what is fun may be discovered.  

Activities ranging from playing chess to hang gliding have some very interesting common roots.  For this discussion let’s define fun.  Fun is a source of enjoyment, amusement or pleasure according to the dictionary.  Fun is also often exhilarating, exciting and may elicit laughter.  Further I would make a distinction between FUN and entertainment, as fun is not passive, but an active endeavor.  This is a critical point as we have blurred the lines between PLAY and entertainment to the point they are often considered synonymous.  For the same reason I would eliminate “relaxation” from our definition of FUN.  So for our purposes we will consider “FUN” and “PLAY” to be synonymous as PLAY is the active engagement of FUN.

 Fear is at the threshold of fun.  Overcoming or letting go of ones fears or anxieties is essential to all fun activities.  Not usually life threatening fears, but ego-based fears; fear of failure, embarrassment, judgment or simply fear of the unknown.  We usually have fun when we are able to “let our guard (ego) down”, do something new or novel or take a chance.  Coincidentally this behavior is essential to learning.  It is how children learn naturally, how they process the world around them.  We don’t have to try to make learning fun because the natural process of learning already is.  Usually when we are able to overcome ego fears there is a rush of pleasure, accomplishment, conquest and satisfaction.  Weather we are mastering a new skill or leaning new information it can and should be fun.  This is a way of life for children, but as we grow into adulthood it becomes more complex with our growing egos and desire to be RIGHT.  Our motives become ego based or external rather than being driven by talents, interests and personal values.  Historically our system of education has removed most of the fun by filtering out elements deemed superfluous to the social agenda and striving for efficiency.  At this point in history we are learning that if we continue on this path it will be at our peril. 

A child at play is the best example to study to find out about fun and learning.  Children attempt to do things they have never done before (new things) every day.  Children are exploring the world, mastering skills and incorporating what they see into their understanding of the world.  They use their creativity and imagination in pretend play to act out things they are curious about.  This is natural behavior for children that adults would not usually engage in for fear of looking silly (embarrassment).  But being wrong, making mistakes and having silly ideas is how innovation, creativity and learning takes place.

Mastering skills on the monkey bars for example requires overcoming different kinds of fear.  Along with the fear of failure and judgment there is the fear of falling and bodily harm.  Children seem to easily overcome these fears returning failure after failure to try again undaunted.  The equivalent for adults may be seen in playing recreational sports.  Golf springs to mind for me.  When we are truly able to let go of outcome and ego there is FUN.  Golf is only frustrating if one becomes obsessed with score or appearances (ego).  If one is able to enjoy companionship, the environment and occasional flashes of good performance there is a higher likelihood of fun and improved skills.  Likewise in matters of intellectual problems, letting go of old ideas and paradigms is the only path to innovative breakthroughs.

Another interesting adult phenomenon is partying.  How many adults do you know that “need” to drink in order to have fun at a party?  Alcohol reduces inhibitions or chemically inhibits ones ego.  Those that can manage to take ego out of the equation without chemicals really know how FUN parties can be.  Finding the courage to have a sober conversation with someone you’ve just met is usually a lot of fun.  And the next day you can actually remember it.

At the extreme end of FUN there is sky diving, bungee jumping, motor-cross, cliff diving and the like that have a relatively high level of real danger. Then there are the aptly named extreme sports that have a real potential for bodily harm.  Most of us however most often engage in activities that are not quite as dangerous for fun.  These activities only require us to get past our own egos to experience the full richness of FUN.

 FUN Questions:

Have you ever gone to a restaurant that you didn’t want to go to and enjoyed it?

Have you ever gone to a party reluctantly because you didn’t know anyone and had a great time?

Have you ever played a game as an adult that you have never played before and won?

Have you ever sung in public even though you are not “musically inclined”?

Have you ever danced with abandon in public though you do not consider yourself a good dancer?

Have you ever drawn or painted or sculpted with a group of people, though you are not an “artist”?

-Dave Berglund