Do you ever just pull out the craft box and see what happens? This week, my kids made a significant improvement to the old toilet-paper-binocular design. And I learned a valuable lesson from them.

The way I learned to DIY play binoculars was to tape a couple of toilet paper rolls together, and boom! Your explorer has a pair of binoculars that they can play with. I don’t know who came up with it, but probably some pretty crafty adult who loves kids. Arguably, someone like me.

This week, while I was making foolproof fabric flowers, my kids tore into the craft box. It was interesting to hear their ideas unfolding, but I was working on my own thing so I didn’t get the gritty details. But afterward, this beauty emerged.

“You know how binoculars don’t fit your face right? We fixed that problem with these popsicle sticks!”

By adding popsicle sticks, a bridge was created between the rolls. You can now customize the binoculars for the individual who will be using them. Instead of struggling to see inside, this fancy new feature improves the viewer’s experience and play time.

Here’s the one sentence how-to on this project: take two toilet paper rolls, glue popsicle sticks on top to adjust the width, attach string for easy carrying, and color/design to taste.

Why make a blog post out of something you can say in a sentence?

Innovation

Yesterday, I visited a dear friend recovering from an intense knee surgery. As we talked, her leg was elevated on the couch, encased in a black strapped cast, and hooked up to a coolant machine. Instead of an ice pack, ice water in the cooler was piped through water lines and circulated through a plastic/fabric pad that wrapped around her knee.

It was a lot nicer than the bag of ice we used to use. I wonder who looked at the old bag of ice and said, “we can do this better.” When did they start thinking that way?

Here’s the point: when you let your kids loose on the craft box, you give them the opportunity to think innovatively about what they’re doing. As they dream up what they want to make and start to design it, they will see problems and come up with solutions.  Their inventive side will be unleashed.

Sometimes we adults want to run the show instead of enjoy the show. We put pressure on ourselves to have the answers, share the answers, and make sure the kids in our care remember the answers. There’s a wonderful place for Q & A. But…

Every so often, if not every day, just open the craft box and see what comes to life. It just might surprise you. And the lessons learned by doing may be the greatest ones of all.

Until next time,

Invent your story