I was going to start my blog vacation today, but I couldn’t resist one more post to share this: Camp Google. How’s this for problem finding? Camp Google is a free online camp, focused on children ages 7-10–and it starts July 13. While activities (obviously) start online, they are designed to get kids up and … Continue reading
I’ve always loved Rube Goldberg machines. So when I discovered a book designed to help make “Chain Reaction” machines out of LEGOs, I jumped at the chance. Together with a 10-year-old friend, we built the first contraption in just a few minutes. It looked almost identical to the photo at the left, and was made … Continue reading
How did those of you in the U.S. celebrate the 4th of July? I spent the afternoon going down a 600-foot slip ‘n slide, courtesy of Slide the City Ann Arbor. Despite the long lines, it was glorious fun. It also gave me plenty of time to contemplate the creativity involved in building such a … Continue reading
What happens when Cinderella goes high tech? Interstellar Cinderella, of course! In Deborah Underwood’s delightful new book, Cinderella loves fixing rocket engines, assisted by her robotic mouse Murgatroyd. Though her stepmother tries to keep her from the Royal Space Parade, you know that won’t stop her. Cinderella fixes the prince’s broken rocket and attends the … Continue reading
Summer. Finally. Oh my. I love the cycles of the academic calendar, but I’ll admit that the last few weeks of everything-is-double-time summer school threw me for a loop last week—hence the unexpected week off from blogging. Perhaps that is why this week I’m drawn to ideas for artistic fun. I love the photography of … Continue reading
Take a vacation and increase your creativity! Sound too good to be true? Perhaps not. I had to smile reading an article by researchers from The Netherlands, Finland, and Germany in which they examined the role recreational travel may play for working people. The authors asked workers from varied professions to complete a creativity test … Continue reading
When is a utility box not a utility box? When it’s a work of public art. My home city, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has some of the best looking traffic signal utility boxes you’ll ever see. Thanks to a collaboration between the civic and arts organizations, the city is beginning to cover 42 utility boxes with … Continue reading
One of the best ways to help students experience the power of creative thinking is to involve them in solving real world problems. Sometimes problems appropriate for young problem-solvers are local to a school or neighborhood, but sometimes young people can have an impact on problems of global scale. One such problem is the die … Continue reading
While we’re considering play, let’s talk about fun. DeepFUN. Game designer Bernie DeKoven’s DeepFUN website is all about games. Here’s the way he describes it. This site is about games – not just any games – just the games you play for fun. In the process of growing up, most people lose touch with the sources … Continue reading
The last few warm days have given me hope that summer may one day return to Michigan. When that glorious day finally arrives (can you tell it’s been a LONG winter?), many homes will be filled with seemingly ever-hungry children wondering to eat next. This doesn’t necessarily sound like a creativity problem, but it can … Continue reading
