Finger Painting -- so much fun!

Since February of 2010, multiple studies have been released that show a dramatic decrease in the creativity of American children.  In every study technology and television are listed as the top culprits.  Children today are subjected to TV at home, in restaurants, in daycare centers, in the mall and even in the car.  Children rarely have times when they aren’t being “entertained.”  Parents love the techno-babysitter because it means they don’t have to watch the child or children as closely (direct quote from a mother).  Video games, Disney on DVD and Nickelodeon cash in as babysitters but is it at the expense of our children’s own creativity?

I’m 36 years old and a soon to-be mommy.  I am discouraged by the constantly shrinking budgets for art and music and the lack of school science fairs and team projects.  America was built on ingenuity.  Creativity is the foundation of ingenuity so what does this say for our country’s future?  In America, it seems parents would rather sit their children in front of a TV or video game than to go to the park and play frisbee or play sing-a-longs on a stereo.  Many children never play outside.  They aren’t learning about nature and the environment — not the way they should anyway.  How many children today actually catch fireflies in a jar and creatively explain why they light up, or grab a frog and try to carry it in their pocket, or discover a chameleon and then watch is change color and wonder why?  How many kids really look into the sky and search for constellations (making up their own as they go) and watch the phases of the moon and see more than just a man?  How many kids lay on a blanket quietly in the spring and find shapes in the puffy clouds floating by?  What about my personal car game of “I Spy”?  How many families play that game to pass the time on family vacations?  The kids I am around most often are interested in Disney, Spongebob and video games.  They see a spider and either run from it or step on it to kill it.  Our kids aren’t learning and growing and expanding with creativity.  They are being “spoon-fed” facts about our universe,  global warming, animal rights and sustainability from teachers but nothing teaches better than experience.  What not have a school garden with plants that each child is responsible for growing?  I worry that the children of today are being given nothing but answers.  They aren’t being given the tools to find answers and make discoveries.  The creativity of our children is being stolen by technology.

Eric an I talk about this pretty often.  Both of us have successful careers in technology, we love computers and each have iphones and ipads.  However, we agree that the success we have found is not due to the education we had as children, rather it is a result of our ability to be creative.  To find solutions to problems in a clever way.  To look outside the box and feel confident enough to bring the idea forward and then execute on it.   As upcoming parents we are working to find ways to encourage creativity and uniqueness for our child.  I have been searching vintage shops for toys that really encourage creativity, for music that encourages creativity and teamwork, for anything that will bring our child one step closer to experiencing a creative “spark”.  We believe that once that spark is ignited, it never really goes out!

Over the next few months I’ll be adding posts that describe the tools be discover along the way.  I hope you’ll follow along and add comments/suggestions as we go.