Experiment 5: Children Creating

When my music class celebrated one year of "joyful learning", some of my students gave me tokens to express their appreciation. Here's one by eight-year-old A.

A's design began with a deceptively simple box. Once I opened it, I found a card. That was followed by a layer of scented tissue. And finally, there were two painstakingly crafted tokens - a Ganesha and a key fob.

None of A's choices was arbitrary. She told me that she selected the box for its "satisfying pop". She kept a card on top because she wanted me to believe that's all there was in the box. She saved and dried a scented facial wipe she got on a flight and placed it under the card. Finally, she created two tiny works of art out of polymer clay the Ganesha and the globe with real continents. Finally, A concealed the objects under the tissue to create a surprise. The little girl proudly declared that her Amma's (tag mom) only contribution was to help bake the clay. 

I'm certain this child has never unboxed an iPhone or shopped for luxury goods. Yet her mind conceived and perfectly executed a multi-layer sensory experience designed to delight the user. I will never forget how I felt when I opened that box. It still sits in its place of honour on my shelf. 

Some of my students write and illustrate comics, others design experiences, yet others show me art filled with colours selected with intent and layered in precise order. Or there are Lego creations.

When my friend's son was assigned handwriting practice, the sixth grader wrote single page essays on World War 2 rather than copy from his textbook. In all cases, it's evident that the child has spent time thinking, tinkering, and perfecting their work.

Children crave depth. And unlike adults, they do not fear what's difficult. All they need is the right environment encouraging whimsy and rejecting the idea of "correct answers"