An important part of learning to be resilient is learning to adjust when kids hit challenging situations. How? Through games/activities in which the rules and expectations shift unexpectedly. This week at Tinkergarten, we invite kids to imagine how they could turn a mistake into something beautiful.
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The Guide
Step 1: Watch the Tinkergarten Anywhere "Marvelous Mistakes" video lesson.
Hop into your Tinkergarten dashboard to watch the "Marvelous Mistakes" video lesson. Kids can watch how Meghan and other explorers adjust to the unexpected, then get inspired to turn a mistake into their own masterpiece! Not yet signed up? Click here to sign up or to try a free Tinkergarten Anywhere lesson.
Step 2: Get inspiration from a book!
For even more inspiration, watch the read-aloud of Beautiful Oopsby Barney Saltzberg. Two of our other favorite stories about adjusting to the unexpected are What If... by Samantha Berger and The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. After reading, invite kids to remember a time when something didn't go according to plan and how they felt and responded to that challenge.
Step 3: Introduce the challenge.
Use markers or paint to make a splotch on a piece of paper or fabric. Or, print out the downloadable Big Orange Splot sheets (inspired by the book by Daniel Manus Pinkwater) and look at the different shapes together. Wonder, what could we turn this splotch into? Does this shape remind you of anything? Discuss ideas together.
Step 4: Offer art materials and create!
Offer markers, crayons, paint, stickers or any materials you have on hand and invite kids to start creating. As they add to the sheet, notice aloud how they are incorporating the splotch into their design and celebrate their creativity, flexibility and problem solving skills!
Extend play!
If kids enjoyed the challenge of turning a splotch into something wonderful, try out some of these ways to nurture resilience and adaptability through play:
Create your own nature paints: How can we create colorful art without paint? Fortunately, nature is full of color and with a few simple tools, kids can transform an ordinary sheet into a vibrant display of Nature’s Tie-Dye! Read more about this activity here.
What If…?.What could we create if all of our art materials disappeared? Head outside and discover what you can create using only the materials you can find in your outdoor space. Draw in the dirt with a stick, create a nature display, turn nature treasures into paint brushes and stamps, make mud prints, paint with water, and make shadow designs. Visit our What If… DIY for more!
Yes! And...: Try some art improvisation together by making a splotch or mark on a piece of paper. Then, invite your child to add to it and turn it into something new. Repeat! Watch this fun video for grown-ups for more on how to use the "Yes, and..." golden rule of improv theater to keep the play going and keep kids in the lead.
Why is this activity great for kids?
When we model playful and joyful ways to adjust to challenges and respond to the unexpected, we help kids build resilience and flexibility, skills they will need to thrive no matter what life brings. As kids take on the challenge of turning a mistake into something wonderful, they practice creativity and important problem-solving mindsets.
By creativity, we mean the ability to both imagine original ideas or solutions to problems and actually do what needs to be done to make them happen. So, to help kids develop creativity, we parents need to nurture kids' imaginations and give them lots of chances to design, test, redesign and implement their ideas.
"Creativity is as important now in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”
Why, you ask? For one, it is through being creative that a person is able to get senses, sensibility and spirit working together. Simply put, without creativity, we don't think our kids will live a full life.
On a more practical level, it's also the means by which humans of all ages make an impact on the world and other people around them. A lot of heavy stuff is going to go down in our kids' lifetime, and their generation will need to imagine and implement solutions to big and very complicated problems. Although our kids are still far from public office or the boardroom, today's political and business leaders worldwide are already pointing to creativity as the most important leadership quality for the future.
Although years from the art studio or design lab, little kids can learn to think and act creatively if you give them time and the right practice.
Persistence & Grit
Category:
Social Skills
What are Persistence & Grit?
A persistent person can continue on a given course of action in spite of challenges or barriers that arise. In other words, persistence is the ability to stick with something and keep trying. It's partner, grit, is the strength of character, and sometimes courage, to allow one to persist. Those who possess grit don't mind rolling up their sleeves, focusing on the task at hand, and sticking with it to completion despite the challenges that come their way.
Why does it matter?
Talent is helpful, but it's hard work, persistence and grit that unlock talent and turn capable people into success stories. As Thomas Edison so famously said, "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Practice with being persistent, including the chance to struggle and learn how to overcome struggle, will help kids later have ability to wade through and make sense of confusing new information, navigate difficult situations, and solve tough problems.
Further, studies like those discussed in Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman's NurtureShock tell us that kids will actually perform better when we praise their hard work instead of just telling them how smart or great they are. As parents, we also tend to offer kids activities which are enjoyable and attainable and, as such, too easy. Bear in mind that if we spare them frustration, we actually deny them the chance to work hard and develop persistence and grit.
Self Reliance
Category:
Social Skills
What is Self Reliance?
Nearly all parents agree that we want to raise our children to become independent and self-reliant people. When they are babies, children rely on us for their basic needs and mobility. As they grow, they rely less directly on us for these basic needs but still need us for love, protection, direction and help. As they grow into adolescence and early adulthood, they will rely on us less and less, separating from us to prepare for the transition to adulthood.
Even though much of the separation dance plays out during adolescence, how we offer our kids both support and independence in their early years paves the way for them to develop self reliance later on. Many well-intending parents may become too involved, protective or demanding of their children and, by doing so, actually foster dependence in them. In turn, their kids grow to rely on others for motivation, happiness and direction, unable to make sound decisions for themselves.
Independent children, however, possess the belief that they are competent and capable of taking care of themselves. They were given the freedom to experience life and learn its many important lessons, both the joyful and the not-so-fun ones that come from taking risks and doing things for and by oneself.
Why does it matter?
Independent children emerge as intrinsically motivated, natural explorers. They are capable decision makers who have had practice weighing various options and, with the support and guidance of their parents, have been allowed to and lived by their own decisions. This kind of self reliance helps children navigate all realms of life. Academically, they advocate for themselves, take chances and try new things. Socially, they are less dependent on others for happiness, making them far more likely to weather the ups and downs of young friendships and social power dynamics. They have likely had the chance to identify and pursue their own interests and, therefore, have a rich sense of self. They are also more likely to make sound judgements and far less susceptible to engage in negative behaviors, succumb to peer pressure or become either bully or victim.
As children grow into adulthood, these same patterns continue to play out. Self-reliant adults have an easier time feeling happiness, self-respect and the respect of others. They are better decision-makers and often accomplish more given the self confidence and self awareness that comes from having been allowed to try, succeed, fail and learn along the way.
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
Age: 0 to 8+
Time: 1 hour+
Materials: downloadable Big Orange Splot sheets, various art materials
