It embraces everything I love about children. Joy - He is definitely delighting in the moment.
Goofy- Yes, he is a ham.
Creative - He and another child have been busy building together, exchanging ideas and learning to work cooperatively.
Engaged - Nothing is going to stop his plan, not even a nosy teacher with a camera.
Memories are born from allowing children to just be. To spend time seeking, searching, exploring and playing without an adults agenda sitting over them. Memories are a gift we allow our children to create, package and wrap for themselves. I believe it is one of our greatest gifts we give if we sit back and just become a part of that magical moment in their life.
It is my personal belief that in the push to provide the best for our kids we have forgotten how magical moments become magical memories. Providing the best education, the endless exposure to sports and sport camps, and planning every detail of our children's lives are not allowing them to discover their own memories. They are carrying away memories we lovingly, gave them.
But what about their own memories?
I think of my mom and stories from her childhood that would give today's teacher, gray hair, heart palpitations and yet at the core do embrace Developmentally Appropriate Practices.
She tells of finding and big, old tire and rolling it down a street, that was on a long hill with several cross streets. This was back in the late 40s and early50s but still dangerous with cross traffic.
When the thrill of that wore off what do you do next? Wedge the smallest child in the tire and roll him down the hills. (Deep breath, he survived, unhurt.)
The best part of the memory is watching my mom tell the story, see her picturing the moment as an old home movie and listening to her laugh as she describes the scene to us.
I want to supply the children in my life with those moments, but within the bounds of safety and security. 😀 So how do we do that?
1. Provide plenty of time for children to play on their own.
2. Provide expose to nature, and the great outdoors.
3. Open ended materials. (Sticks, rocks, stumps, tires, tubes, boxes, sheets, etc...)
4. Quietly observe and only step in when danger is a real thing.
Please share some of your fondest childhood memories in the comments below.
FEAR NOT! When my mom comes to visit me at work I keep her with in arms reach and under close supervision.
Love you mom!
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| Still making wonderful memories with my mom. Camping together October 2017 in Afton State Park. |
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