Creative Clutter

Are there blocks scattered about your living room? Random pieces of wood and nails on your garage floor?

Before you holler, take a deep breath and read this post. (I know -- the odds of you having your computer in the garage with you at this very moment are slim to none, but bear with me.)

This week, I'm teaching a class called, "Unleash Your Creativity." It's part of a special week of arts programing for adults (I like to call it "summer camp for grown-ups"), and my piece of it emphasizes the creative process. In my class, we don't create masterpieces; we play. Literally. Monday we colored with crayons. Yesterday, we sculpted with playdough and modeling clay. And today, we created cards out of paper, fabric, wallpaper and glue.

The point is to take people back in time to a place where it was safe to create. As children, most of us had no problem whatsoever reeling off a story or drawing a picture. But ask most adults to write a story and they'll say, "Oh. No. I'm not very good at that," because somewhere along the line they've gotten the message that creativity is for talented people only. And that they're not very talented.

In class, we're learning that creativity takes time and space, and that it's occasionally messy. (I spilled gold glitter down the front of my shirt!) Our project today involved mounds of material. The center of each table was heaped with supplies: fabric scraps, sheets of wallpaper, cardstock, glue, scissors, glitter and more. It was colorful, chaotic and oh so creative.

At the end of class, my students asked whether they should help put the supplies away or leave them out for the mini-creativity classes I'm teaching tonight. I told them to leave them out. That's when I learned about creative clutter.

One of my students is a feng shui consultant. Earlier in the class, she agreed with me when I said that clutter can be a barrier to creativity. All of my students are women, and women, particularly, are prone to putting off creation when piles of "shoulds" surround them. But this clutter, she said, gesturing toward the colorful piles, was good clutter. This kind of "mess," she said, invites creative energy.

Think about that.

Now think about the blocks on the living room floor. Or the wood and nails in the garage. Yes, it's possible that your sons' simply forgot to put things away. (Or that they left them there on purpose, hoping that the magic pick-up genie would appear.) But isn't it also possible that they were interrupted in the middle of creation? That their creative energies were used up for the day, but that they're not quite done with whatever burst of creativity they were experiencing?

When my boys are in the "zone" (and I can recognize the zone by their intense concentration and interest in a project), I let the mess linger. Case in point: cardboard boxes. Like many boys, mine are fascinated with large cardboard boxes. They've made clubhouses, snowmobiles, cars and rockets from boxes. Generally, the play takes more than one day. So I walk around boxes, markers and random cardboard shavings for days, 'til the boys' interest moves onto something else.

Yes, it's inconvenient. Yes, my house appears cluttered. No, my house will not be selected for a centerfold appearance in House Beautiful anytime in the near future. But that's OK. I'd much rather have my boys experience the joy of creativity.

And if that doesn't convince you to let the "mess" go, release responsibility to my feng shui consultant. She said it's OK, so please let your boys create.

Snapshot Sunday: A Homemade Boat

Snapshot Sunday: Boy & Birdhouse

Snapshot Sunday: Creativity

Tool Safety

After my First Day of School post the other day, Christine at Origami Mommy asked if I had any tips for teaching boys how to use hacksaws safely. She brings up a very good point.

Normally, young children aren't given tools to use. Plastic tools? Maybe. A real life, straight-from-Home-Depot hacksaw? Not so such.

But when Daddy stopped to pick up the hacksaws, his thinking was right on. He knows our boys, and he knew that as soon as the boys saw the tubes, their creativity would kick in. He knew that sooner or later, the boys would ask, "Can we use the knives?"

He also knows that one of the first rules of tool safety is to Use the right tool for the job. Kitchen knives are designed to chop celery and slice bread, not hack through cardboard tubes.

So he picked up the saws, which are lightweight and feature very finely-toothed blades. If handled properly, the blades will cut, but they're not so sharp as to deliver a cut at just a touch. The saws also have study handles which keep little hands far away from the cutting field.

I also implemented the second rule of tool safety: Supervise children using tools. Young children need to be taught how to use tools safely (which brings up rule #3: Model proper tool use.). Then, they need direct supervision as they learn to handle the tool on their own. It's not enough to toss your son and hammer and say, "Here, use this." First, you must show him how to hold the hammer and, more importantly, how to hold the nail. Then you watch and guide and tweak as needed. Only when you feel confident in his abilities do you step away -- and even then, it's best to remain in reach.

We also talked about rule #4: Store and carry tools safely. My kids know that screwdrivers must be carried point down, and we talk constantly about the need to put tools away after the project is completed. I'll be honest, though: My boys aren't so good at this rule. They left the hacksaws laying on the floor ("But Mom, I was going to use that again! I swear!") and their three-year-old brother picked one up -- and dismantled the saw before I knew what happened. An engineering project for him, but a slightly dangerous one he had no business undertaking.

For more information about kids and tools safety, check out this article from This Old House.

Paper Airplane Preview

Paper airplanes are almost the perfect boy toy. They're cheap, entertaining, portable and endlessly amusing.

This weekend, I'll be presenting the "Let's Fly Paper Airplanes" session at the Wisconsin Parents Association conference. The idea grew out of last year's conference experience. Son #1 and Son #2 were deeply involved in a chess and checkers session; Sons #3 and 4 were completely and totally bored.

To keep them entertained, I folded my schedule for the day into a paper airplane. They were hooked! So were the other young children in the room. Before the session ended, I had folded over 20 paper airplanes and the air was littered with formerly flat paper.

I realized I'd stumbled onto something and proposed the session, which is turning out to be hugely popular. Over 80 people have already signed up for a session intially scheduled for 40; another adult has been enlisted to facilitate a second session.

Can't make it to the conference? Check out these links and begin an exploration of flight right at home:

http://www.10paperairplanes.com/ -- This site has 10 different designs and explicit, animated instructions of how to fold each.

www.paperplane.org -- Your kids will love the intro to this site -- I guarantee it! The added bonus is lots of interesting info about paper airplane design, history and aerodynamics from the current Guinness World Record holder for the longest time aloft.

The Leprechauns are Coming!

We've turned the calendar to March, and in my house, that can only mean one thing: Leprechauns!

Each year for the past six years, leprechauns have terrorized our house the week before St. Patrick's Day. I'm talking real chaos here -- overturned couches, plastic bowls dangling from the ceiling fan and greeen toilet water. One year, they even managed to flip our kitchen table upside down!

So ever year, in an attempt to contain the chaos (and capture some leprechaun gold!), my boys construct leprechaun traps.

They spend weeks preparing. For those of you who don't know, leprechauns love to eat crayons. So the boys spend HOURS smashing crayons into bite-sized pieces, just right for leprechauns. They also insist that we purchase Lucky Charms, because apparently leprechauns are partial to Lucky Charms as well.

Then it's on to the traps. In years previous, we've always had simple box traps. But this year, we were inspired by Family Fun magazine. Apparently, we're not the only household that's invaded by leprechauns each year, because the March issue features 3 innovative leprechaun traps. That's Son #2 above, with the beginnings of his leprechaun hat trap. For directions and pictures, click here.

Then tell me: How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your family?

Climbing Walls

Here in Wisconsin, we're waking up to below 0 weather. -2 degrees Farenheit, to be exact. Add in wind chill, and it feels more like -13. If we're lucky, it might get all the way to 12 today.
Weather like this is not exactly conducive to outdoor play. And when boys have been cooped up in a house too long, watch out! That physical energy has to go somewhere.

My five-year-old son has figured out an innovative way to deal with cabin fever. He climbs walls. Literally.

For the longest time, he's been able to climb one side a door jamb by grabbing on to either side with his hands and using his hands and feet to shimmy up like an island native climbing a coconut tree. Now, howere, he's figured out a new technique. He stands just inside a doorway and spreads his legs, so that his feet are touching both door jambs, one to a side. He spreads his arm out overhead -- again, reaching out to both sides -- and uses his arms to steady himself. Then he "walks" his feet up the door jambs, using the friction of his feet and his incredible balance to stay in place.

It's not exactly a typical indoor activity, but you know what? It keep him happy, active and healthy. Staying physical indoors when the weather boxes you in is a challenge, but think outside of the box. Try letting the kids slide down the front stairs, or race around the house. Strap cardboard to their feet and let them "skate" on the carpet. Plan a scavenger hunt. Build a fort. Have an old-fashioned pillow fight. Let them jump on the beds and stage dance contests in the living room.

And when it's time to unwind, remember that boys are also highly tactile. Playdough has long been a favorite in my house. My eight-year-old likes to sculpt creatures and cars, while my three-year-old LOVES to run his little cars and trucks over the "roads" he makes in the playdough. Here, then, is my all-time favorite playdough recipe:

Fruity Playdough
2 1/2 cups flour (plan to add much more when mixing and kneading)
1/2 cup salt
2 packages dry unsweetened drink mix (Koolaid, etc.)
2 cups boiling water
3 Tablespoons cooking oil
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix liquids together and pour into dry ingredients. Stir until mixture forms a ball. At first it will appear as if it will never make a smooth playdough mixture. Add more flour if necessary. As the mixture cools and becomes less sticky, take it out of the bowl and knead until smooth, adding flour until it reaches the right consistency.

This recipe makes A LOT of playdough -- perfect for a family! Store it inside a sealed plastic container (think an old margarine tub) and it'll last for months.

So how 'bout you? What are some of your favorite indoor activities?