I always love bringing home new art supplies. . .love seeing the joy and excitement in my kids’ eyes as they open and explore their new treasures. Such possibilities! Yesterday Anna had seen a picture of a dream catcher and wanted to make one, so I grabbed a few new supplies at the store and had them ready when she got home from school. She quickly got into her zone, working diligently to wrap, weave, and tie her yarn just so. As she worked, I could tell she was becoming increasingly interested in the giant colored feathers. . .
“These can’t be real, mom. They would have to be from a hawk and you would have to climb high on a mountain to gather them. They must be pretend. I want to be a bird, mom. I think these feathers could make me fly. Watch them move the air.”
She, of course, finished her beautiful dream catcher, but then began to figure out how to make wings and attach her feathers to her body. What fun watching her ideas turn into a something palpable. We went outside to see if the feathers would make her fly and she danced and danced, completely wrapped up in her own little bird world.
That’s the magic that takes place when we allow our children the time and the freedom to create. When we spend more time observing and less time interjecting our own thoughts, our children are free to think for themselves. I love that time. . . love watching the way my children’s ideas evolve, love seeing their eyes light up as the come up with an original thought. What started out as a simple craft today turned into so much more. . . an inquiry into how birds fly and the creative expression of flight through my daughter’s eyes. Such a joy to watch unfold.
