Child's Play

The other day we had a major appliance repair and the busy technician left behind the most wonderful item; a huge magnet.

As soon as I discovered the magnet, I opened the junk drawer and dug deep until I found a handful of small metal objects and an old peanut butter jar lid. In minutes I was enjoying myself so much that I just had to share my fun with my children (did you know I'm really just an older kid myself?)

For days afterwards these items were sought after and fought over--just some discarded junk that turned into hours of delightful entertainment. Was there learning in this--absolutely. If I was well versed in education-eze I'll just bet I could have drawn up a pretty engrossing lesson objective for the whole thing.

But who really cares about all that jargon?

When I think of all of the hours children spend in front of video screens these days I become very sad. All children need raw materials to practice their immense imaginations on, like the huge, sturdy produce boxes we bring home from Sam's Club each month. They are so hefty that they can be stacked and can hold small children safely. Sometimes these boxes are cars, sometimes they are stores, sometimes they turn into kitchens, and often they are doll houses. They clutter up the basement and fill the closets, but the children have spent many happy hours lost in them (we return them to Sam's each month).

No matter how sophisticated we may think we are, learning is not complicated. It is simply a process God created that we direct, support and validate.