(If you have a student with an invention or want to make an invention, please do to not hesitate to contact me, Rich)

The Challenge:

Children are born with curiosity that when nurtured can lead to creativity which can stir innovation. You do not have to teach a newborn how to be curious, they already are. If you want your child to grow towards and maintain a lifelong fascination with the world around them through curiosity it will take planned effort. If parents and teachers are not careful, digital media will sap the creativity and imagination from children and students. Research has shown that 8- to 12-year-olds spend an average of five and a half hours each day watching screens and consuming media and eight and a half hours for teens! To be creative a child’s mind must wander, daydream and sometimes they must sit and not focus on any one thing. Staring at a screen for hours on end robs a person of creative time and thought. No time to innovate. Television and cell phone over use robs time from a child that could be playing with a big carboard box and turning it into a fort, dollhouse, truck or cave. More time looking at a screen means less time playing, drawing, singing and exploring outside. A child’s active imagination can be suppressed and limited by too much screen time (fewer imaginary friends, fewer made up stories). There are strategies to alter the inevitability of screen-time over use. According to an article in American Academy of Pediatrics there are positive aspects to children and teen digital media use, but most aspects are negative:

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Positive:

·       Exposure to innovative ideas.

·       Awareness of current events and issues

·       Community participation

·       Help with assignments and projects.

·       Keep in touch with far away family and friends.

·       Networking with support groups.

Negative:

·       Lack of sleep

·       Obesity

·       Delay in learning and socialization (not enough human to human interaction time)

·       Negative effect on school performance

·       Behavior or psychological effects of negative programs

·       Internet addiction and increase risky behavior.

·       Cyberbullying

Solutions:

Limiting screen time for young people is a huge challenge and gets more difficult as they get older. The following are suggestions to help nurture and grow a child’s/student’s curiosity, creativity and innovative abilities.

·       Buy inexpensive electronic stuff such old TVs, phones, kitchen appliances and take them apart with your child.

·       Keep boxes of all sizes around for your child to play and imagine with

·       Leave cool objects around the house for kids to pick up and play with

·       Have an area in the home/classroom with craft supplies and recycled material that children can use for projects.

·       Tale out a membership to a museum/planetarium

·       Keep an eye out for relevant programs at your local library.

·       Sign up for IN HUB (free) https://inhub.thehenryford.org/

    Go to “Curriculum Resource Library” Click on “Innovate for Tots”

    and “Innovate: Accelerate innovative thinking for grades 6-8”.

Michigan State University Extension offers the following suggestions for nurturing curiosity.

• Wonder aloud. When we say out loud, “I wonder why the lake is frozen,” we are modeling what it means to be curious.

• Encourage natural interests. If your child is interested in painting, for example, then give them lots of different opportunities to paint.

• Answer questions simply and clearly. However, no matter the age, always ask your child first what their thoughts are before answering.

• Use open-ended questions. Use who, what, when, where why and how to stimulate your child’s curiosity.

• Redirect versus discourage. Give your child an opportunity in a safe way to explore their interests. If it something unsafe, say houseplants, give them chances to play in the dirt. If they like to pour water out of their cup, then move them to a tile floor or give them similar items to play with outside or in the bathtub to have similar experiences.

• Have open-ended material available. When we give children items to play with like blocks, water, sand, pots and any art material, we are giving them the chance to use their curiosity about how to play with the item. Many store-bought toys can only be used in one way and do not challenge the child to figure out a way to play with it on their own.

Resources:

https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/09/05/screen-time-may-limit-childrens-creativity/ - Screen Time Issues

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-winner-effect/201401/can-smartphones-reduce-your-creativity-0 - Smartphones and Reduce Creativity

https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/tips-on-nurturing-your-childs-curiosity/ - Curiosity nurturing tips

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/developing_curiosity_in_the_young_childs_brain - Developing curiosity in children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUXWLhUJfYU – Parents raising smart curious kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiuU1mlFeEc – Great kid inventors and their inventions, for inspiration