One of my favorite quotes came from a book later made into the family-friendly film, “The Princess Bride.” The Grandfather (played by legendary screen actor Peter Falk) tells his Grandson (a young Fred Savage), “When I was your age, television was called books.” This gives us a window into how much technology has changed our lives since the days of our grandparents.
Being a bit older myself, as children we were often left to our own devices when it came to playtime and expanding our horizons by using our imaginations. Not that TV’s weren’t available in my youth (I’m not that old), but our family didn’t even get a television set until I was twelve years old. Definitely much different times compared to when we spent much of our time indoors reading books instead of watching the boob tube. We also spent more times outdoors compared to most of today’s children.
Board Game Night
Another family event that may have gone along the wayside is board game night when children and their parents gathered around the kitchen table to play one of the classics like Monopoly or Sorry. While many families are still playing these popular board games, to peak your child’s imagination, challenge them to come up with different rules or invent new games altogether.
You may start them off with the concept that Monopoly actually has a different set of rules for a shorter version of the game. When we played as a family, all fines and fees that were paid to the bank, instead went into the center of the board and the person who landed on the free parking space collected the pot despite the official rules that state:
A player landing on this place does not receive any money, property
or reward of any kind. This is just a “free” resting place.
It’s okay to change the rules of the game as long as everyone agrees prior to playtime. Here’s another idea for Monopoly, let’s say you land exactly on the “Go” space and you collect $400 instead of the regular $200 when “passing” the space. Craftier kids may be able to invent and create their own game, whether they make one themselves or use an existing game with altered rules.
Inspiration & Better Viewing Choices
To get the creative juices flowing, when watching television for example, encourage children to view programs that allow them to experience better learning options. For example, there’s a newer show on ABC called “The Toy Box,” where would-be inventors are showcasing their ideas for the next big thing when it comes to the newest plaything to be marketed by Mattel.
Judged first by a panel of adult toy experts who may pass the idea onto a group of kid judges. This gives children the opportunity to see how the creative process works in the real world. It begins with a concept, often coming from a child, then onto a working model and revisions that may happen later on in the process.
Children also get to see how differently adults and kids react to the same idea and product. For example, adults are seeing it almost specifically from a money-making or marketing standpoint whereas the kids are looking at it almost purely from the perspective of “fun”.
In closing, remember that when it comes to learning, especially with older children, it should be more than simply memorizing facts and figures. It’s finding a way to think outside of the box. While following the rules is important, finding different types of rules and examining restrictions have led to some great scientific and inventive new discoveries.
Photo Credits
All photos from Shuterstock
Guest Author Bio
Amy Williams
Amy Williams is a free-lance journalist based in Southern California and mother of two. As a parent, she enjoys spreading the word on positive parenting techniques in the digital age and raising awareness on issues like cyberbullying and online safety
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