Today, my daughter and I went to the Children's Museum. She loves the place, and although the luster has sort of rubbed off the place for me a bit (not surprising considering I've going there for 16 years or so and not much has changed), I still appreciate the opportunity to watch my kid grow and pick up on how she's changing. A couple years ago, she would move from station to station, play with a toy for maybe a few seconds, and move on. Today, she uses her imagination to the fullest, devising up scenarios, and putting her heart and mind into each. She stayed at the puppet theater, for example, for what seemed like a half hour, going through a dozen or so puppets, and putting on as many performances. I was thrilled, humored, and having all kinds of fun. I realized that she's growing up, but more importantly, her mind is growing up. She's creating her own word, her own possibilities. What's not to enjoy about that.
We didn't have things like children's museums when I was a kid. We had pretty much what was in the front and back yard or down the block or around the corner. That was it, and that was OK. We made do, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything of great important. Still, it would have been nice to have the opportunities my kids have had. I wonder how my imagination and creativity might have been altered and how that would have influenced the way I see the world now. It's impossible to say, but just perhaps I would have gone down some different paths. Who knows. What I do know is I'm thrilled to have these creative outlets available for my own kids, place where they can 1.) have fun, 2.) explore in a safe environment, and 3.) create new world and sensibilities. I have to admit, as many times as I've been to the Children's Museum, I still manage to let my own reality go temporarily and just find time to be a kid again.
We didn't have things like children's museums when I was a kid. We had pretty much what was in the front and back yard or down the block or around the corner. That was it, and that was OK. We made do, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything of great important. Still, it would have been nice to have the opportunities my kids have had. I wonder how my imagination and creativity might have been altered and how that would have influenced the way I see the world now. It's impossible to say, but just perhaps I would have gone down some different paths. Who knows. What I do know is I'm thrilled to have these creative outlets available for my own kids, place where they can 1.) have fun, 2.) explore in a safe environment, and 3.) create new world and sensibilities. I have to admit, as many times as I've been to the Children's Museum, I still manage to let my own reality go temporarily and just find time to be a kid again.
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