Instead of TV: Projects and Activities for Better Brains

Children are the best teachers of creativity. Watch them! They are unafraid to ask questions, even if they sound like dumb or obvious questions. They follow their interests and passions like a bird dog when given the freedom. Most children seek out new experiences, play hard, and act silly; they get breathless and dreamy and ask why not? Why not? Why not?

We adults can learn a lot from kids, but without us, their drive to create, to use their imaginations can wither and die. How? By allowing too much TV and computer games into their lives. By over-committing them to sports and classes. From soccer to swim lessons, television and art classes, we unwittingly rob our children of valuable time that is better spent claiming their imaginations. For in the end our imagination is all we have to envision a better life, an answer, a new road out of the old way. 

If we don’t learn to use it young, it becomes more difficult to access its tremendous power later in life. Like muscles, imagination has a ‘use it or lose it’ component, and it is up to us, the adults in our children’s lives, to give them the time to flex their creativity. Call it doodle and hum time — simple hours in a day to play with materials, and then the luxury of time to integrate the new information into the brain where it can lodge, take root, and invite a world of discovery.

The following projects are open ended and with little instruction — the best kind for stretching imaginations. Now turn off the TV and turn on the fun!

Ice Art

Ice art lasts longer if you live in a cold climate, but don’t be afraid to try this one even if you live where the winters are mild.

What you will need:

• muffin tins
• jell-O molds
• plastic containers
• food colouring
• rubber gloves (very fun ice molds! Use a rubber band to enclose the top)
• cake pans, pie plates
• empty milk cartons
• small plastic buckets
• spray bottle filled with water

Fill the containers with water, add food colouring if desired, and freeze until solid. When ready to create, pop the ice out by running a little warm water around the outside of the container. Place all the ice pieces outdoors and melt them together with a squirt of water from the spray bottle. Be sure to take a photo of your child’s masterpiece!

Marshmallow Project

This was one of my family’s favourite projects that got me through the times when I simply needed to keep the children occupied. All it takes is a bag of marshmallows and a box of toothpicks.

Older kids may want to experiment with three-dimensional constructions, while younger kids are often content creating such things as spiders — one marshmallow with 14 toothpicks stuck into it.

DON’T fret about their eating too many marshmallows at first. If you relax, they will soon lose interest in the eating and become absorbed with making creative structures. One last note — the staler the marshmallows, the better the construction process because they are firmer and hold the tooth pick better. Open a bag of marshmallows and place in a paper bag several days before you begin the project.

Play Clay

The texture and colour of this rich looking clay makes it a stand out for kids. Use it like play dough or make a set of checkers or chess pieces.

What you will need:

• tempera paint (for colouring the dough. Tubes of water colour, fabric dye, and food colouring also work well.)
• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup corn starch
• ¾ cup cold water

Have your child mix the soda and corn starch together with her hands in a medium sized saucepan. Add the paint to the cold water, stir until dissolved, and pour into the saucepan. Set the pan on the stove over medium heat, and stir constantly just until the mixture gathers together (if you overcook this dough, it will be too crumbly to work with). When the dough cools, knead it until smooth and pliable. This clay will keep in a covered container for a week.