Life is fun — work can be too! (let’s not risk losing that)

So often when we think of “imagination,” we err by attributing it to kids only, says C. J. Ellis of KidsReadUs.com, and maybe it takes some really “big kids” to remind us that’s simply not always the case!

While recently checking out http://slate.com/, Ellis browsed through Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project.” Although not exactly filled with Ellis’ definition of imagination, it was linked to Eepy Bird’s Sticky Note Experiment.

Now that’s using your imagination and letting it fly! Coined as “Entertainment by the Curious Mind,” this is a heads-up reminder that “play” isn’t just for kids (the video is definitely an awesome example of creativity!).

Which can be a real cause for concern, Ellis says. Real play — play that is initiated and carried out by kids — bubbles up from within rather than being imposed by a stuffy adult. Joan Almon, author of “The Fear of Play,” expands:

Real play has largely disappeared from the landscape of childhood in the United States. There are many reasons for this, such as the long hours spent in front of screens each day or being involved in activities organized by adults. In addition, preschools and kindergartens that used to foster meaningful play and exploration often spend long hours on adult-led instruction instead.

Are adults not doing enough "sticky note experiments" in their everyday lives? Are we unconsciously curtailing the growth of imagination in children, and, by doing so, are we risking the danger of producing a future generation of stiff-minded adults?

What do you think?

LEGOs, Wiffle ball versus ‘Wordle’ away, ‘Google Earth’: for kids, storytelling can be at the heart of imagination

The Boston Globe, July 26, “Future shock made child’s play” by Christine Murphy sets the stage: In Hartford, Conn.,

... a wavy roof that seems to hover over the Connecticut Science Center like a silver magic carpet. . . my curiosity was piqued upon entering the six-story, light-filled atrium with open-structured elevators and a wall of glass overlooking the Connecticut River.

Murphy goes on to describe the 150 exhibits and all their technologic advances that were designed and developed by adults in an effort to encourage children to learn through hands-on interaction, a gallery scientist, a computer that creates a 3-day weather forecast, exploring space — you get the picture.

But Murphy shows surprise with the setup at the LEGO Imagination Zone, describing it as “really just a table with LEGO blocks that was surprisingly popular.”

“That’s no surprise to me,” counters C. J. Ellis of KidsReadUs.com. “LEGO sets, Erector sets — even Wiffle Ball — help children develop their own imagination. Hands-on joysticks might take a child on a ‘tour’ of the known or unknown, but really, is the child creating anything? To me, creativity is at the heart of imagination and there is no better way to do that than letting the child actually use his or her hands — and not just on a joystick.”

Sometimes kids know better than adults what captures their imagination and keeps their attention and minds occupied.

Not that Internet technology can’t be channeled to encourage creative thought, Ellis adds. On that same day — July 26 — the Dallas Educational Technology Examiner ran a story by Elaine Plybon. The approach was a bit different than the Murphy piece. Plybon shows how teachers can use their technologic savvy to promote a child’s imaginative spirit.



Take, for example, Wordle — a free website that takes kids’ words and creates a graphic that represents those words. How can having a website create an image for the child encourage creative thought?

“You can then ask each child to print the graphic created and expand on it, making one that reflects his or her own creative images,” Ellis says. “LEGO blocks stored in a container do nothing to create imagination. But once the child opens the container and removes some blocks, that’s when the creative process begins. Using Wordle effectively can have the same effect.”

Plybon also suggests that teachers take advantage of Google Earth. Here children can create a virtual trip showing where they went on vacation or where they visited their cousins or where they want to go next year. By creating placemarks at each location, the child can then add images, text, video or audio. Again, Ellis says, there is no reason that parents can't use Google Earth the same way in a home setting.

But, Ellis insists, the best technology lesson Plybon describes might be the power of storytelling — digital storytelling, that is.

“Although Plybon describes how the teacher can break the classroom into groups of four,” Ellis explains, “there really is no reason you can’t have individual children in the family be involved in digital storytelling because the catch is the same — using Photostory 3 [free Windows program] to create a picture — it’s the same picture for everyone. Then each child writes a story about the picture. No two stories will be alike and the kids can enjoy sharing their unique with family and friends.”

An offshoot of this can be having a round-robin sort of storytelling event at the dinner table, Ellis adds.

It sure beats staring at a computer screen! What do you think?

Broken link doesn’t stop new blog launch

Everyone is excited. The buzz word at KidsReadUs.com is Imagination!

In today’s environment, it’s important to take your website to new levels, most Web experts say, adding that websites need their own “stimulus package.”

Launching a new blog could well serve that purpose, and numerous courses, including one offered by mediabistro.com, are out there to help small businesses and individual consultants alike reach that goal.

So KidsReadUs.com decided to take the plunge and start a new blog that emphasizes the importance of learning and imagination.

“It turns out,” says C. J. Ellis, founder and owner of KidsReadUs.com and its parent company, Angel Publications, “that we now are asking parents to be patient and use a bit of their own imagination when linking to our website to download free activities for kids.”

The problem? The URL link for KidsReadUs is broken, Ellis explains, and a temporary patch — http://www.angelpubs.com/ — is in place instead of the website’s true designation — http://www.kidsreadus.com/. (Hint: The second link doesn't work right now, and no, we aren't trying to send you to KidsRead!)

“We decided not to let this slight hitch stop us from launching our blog so we can get feedback on what parents and kids want and need in the world of learning and creativity,” Ellis says.

KidsReadUs.com is a division of Angel Publications, a company that Ellis started about 10 years ago. “At first all of our titles involved children and angels,” Ellis explains, “but the original five titles of the first angel series are now out of print.”

Instead, the company went in a different direction, adding such titles as Kwanzaa Teddy The Curious Bear and The Theodore Series, Ellis says. “The Kwanzaa book won awards, as did Angels are Everywhere, including the Teachers’ Choice Award and the Benjamin Franklin Award [an industry-recognized award],” she adds.

So about four years ago, the company introduced its KidsReadUs division and changed its website — until the blogging gods decided to momentarily jinx the site!

So be it, Ellis says, because we're ready to go and it's time to start thinking about how you can help your kids “Let Their Imagination Fly”!