Last night was the last full moon of summer and we decided to celebrate it. It has become a tradition for Mina and me to make these nights magical. She likes to capture moon beams in her crystals by setting them outside over night. We also take the time to make wishes, write our gratitudes and set intentions for the coming months.
It is a our quiet time to reflect back and say thank you as well and setting goals for the future. Too often, I feel, kids are shuttled here and there to do everything except take the time to be quiet and reflect. School, homework, daycare, after school activities take up just about every second and kids are losing the ability and opportunity to get lost in their imagination.
As much as possible, I try to cultivate magical creativity into our everyday lives in order to balance the structured education system. Kids brains are such a wonder! Synaptic connections grow and expand so fast and encompass the whole brain. Imaginative play does more than keep a child entertained. It stimulates new neuro pathways, laying the foundation for future problem solving. In play they are not afraid to come up with fanciful ideas. As new ideas form, curiosity grows and this is how self motivated learning begins.
For example, a few weeks ago, I was at Alex’s house doing the dishes. Allegra and Zola wanted me to play with them, but I needed to get the dishes done. While I was working, I gave them a challenge: to draw up a plan for a fruit fly catcher. We had so many fruit flies in the house after harvesting and processing apricots. Because we value creativity in our family, this actually wasn’t a hard task at all for them. Both used their imaginations and set to work drawing diagrams, pictures and explanations. By the end of the night, we had built prototypes. They were given the opportunity, the time and tools to use their imagination. So what if it didn’t work! They learned that sometimes you need to try in order to figure out a better way.
Childhood is supposed to be magical and filled with wonder. Too often, we adults step in to tell our children to stop being so childish and grow up! How sad! Of course they are childish-they are still children! In this technological time, children are growing up faster and faster with less connection with each other. It has been said that this generation may have trouble with empathy because so many communicate via text or email at a younger age. Please just give them the time and space to play, to be patient with them when they want to sit and watch ants march down the sidewalk, and honor their imaginative stories.