As I sat down on the floor to play mega blocks with my almost 2-year-old son, I showed him the picture on the box. A choo-choo train and a station built from the blocks in the set graced the cover. I fought back the urge to open the box and begin explaining how they could be created.
Why? There is plenty of time to build what the set is intended for later. The concept seemed a little bit over his head, and I don’t think he would have learned anything from it. Instead, I wanted to see what else he could come up with. Granted he is at an age where he is just beginning to see how the blocks fit together at all, but it is refreshing to see someone play with a toy totally new, and the curiosity they bring to the endeavor.
I don’t care if he used the train set to build a used car lot or a lemonade stand, all these toys are sparking his imagination, and it is great to watch. Instead, he pulled the blocks out of the box, and simply experimented with how they fit together. I showed him what a couple blocks looked like assembled, and he was content simply playing with them. No urge to build anything complex yet existed, but that’s alright. Once he figures out what he has and how they work, the creativity will flow.
He has plenty of opportunity for following instructions later in life. There will be plenty of moments where he will be told “do this” and “don’t do that.” It is important for him to use his toys to spark his own imagination—especially since he is an only child. The process has already begun.
For instance, he regularly plays with a toy kitchen that his grandmother bought him for Christmas. He heats up coffee in his fake coffee pot and hands us empty plates telling us it’s fish. This always cracks me up considering it is not something he eats with any great frequency. However, when we eat what he cooks he lets out a “Yay!” and continues playing.
I know he is young, but I want him to value his play and creative time – before somebody tells him that something he creates is good or bad, or that it must be done in any certain way.
Kids seem to have that innate ability to create without judgment, but somewhere along the line it is pounded out of most adults. As a writer I always struggle with my inner editor. I need to simply get ideas down on paper or on the screen, and then go back and tweak. However, if I become too critical before I am finished, it may not end up the way that I want – or it may not happen at all.
I also could take a lesson from my son in the creative process. I love watching him play with his whole body and whole imagination. Too often we bring half our attention span, giving too much focus to distractions that prevent us from true accomplishment.
The Facebook notifications, emails, and any other number of distractions can prevent us from setting our own agenda, and instead become reactionary in our productivity. My son may not have a long attention span, but when he is playing with his blocks or his kitchen or any other toy he is exploring and learning everything he can about the world. What he plays with in the moment occupies his attention.
I believe that creativity starts young, and I hope for my son’s sake that it is something he can hold on to. It’s also a place I’d love to get back to.
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