Feb 21, 2008 0
The Tinkering School: Helping Kids Discover Danger
Last week, I wrote about a teen panel I attended that suggested that, except for a few small differences, today’s teens seem pretty similar to their boomer parents. Considering how differently these generations were raised, this is surprising.
When I was young, my favorite game was called stretch. My opponent and I would face each other, inches apart, and would throw pocket knives into the ground. My opponent would need to stretch one leg and place his foot where the blade entered the ground. Holding that position, it was his turn to throw a knife and make me stretch. Every once in a while, a knife would inadvertently pierce a foot, adding a significant element of danger to the game.
When were weren’t playing stretch, we were burning things using sunlight and magnifying glasses.
When we weren’t lighting fires with magnifying glasses, we were making guns out of clothespins and elastic bands that ignited and shot wooden matches 20 feet or more.
When we weren’t making clothespin guns to shoot matches, we were mixing our own dynamite and blowing things up.
When we weren’t blowing things up, we were making rafts out of non-buoyant materials to navigate rivers (even though none of us could swim).
Looking back, it’s a miracle any kid in the 1960s and 70s survived long enough to attain adulthood. Although those days were filled with danger, I think most boomers reflect on those experiences as among the happiest in their lives.
News stories of abductions and pedophiles turned boomers, who grew up enjoying unbridled freedom, into overprotective parents. “Go out and play” was quickly replaced with “shall I call your friend Sammy and arrange a play date?”
Consequently, the children in my neighborhood are experiencing a very different childhood than the one I enjoyed. I never see them running free like coyotes. They never ring my doorbell and run away, leaving a bag of burning dog droppings at my door. I suspect most have never seen a shooting star.
Gever Tulley is attempting to change all that. He’s writing a book called “50 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do.” He’s also the founder of The Tinkering School, a summer program where kids are provided with the opportunity to explore, build things, and learn about danger.
At the Tinkering School, kids as young as seven use power tools. In fact, they get to bring home their own power drill upon finishing the program.
According to Mr. Tulley, “if you send your kids to the Tinkering School, they’ll come back bruised, scraped, and bloody.” They’ll also be more creative, self assured, and will know how to interact safely with the environment around them.
The Tinkering School is all about discovery and exploration. It sounds like the best possible environment for learning.
Check out this presentation of Gever Tulley on the TED Web site.
