I love it when the kids take an interest in something and then we find ways to support that interest. Take for example my daughter’s ability to make things. I call her a tinker fairy (like Tinkerbell in the little Disney Tinkerbell movies). She tinkers and can make things from nothing. A boat out of old cardboard. A catapult with hair elastics. I love seeing her imagination go.
It’s one reason why I think she took so much to the Goldieblox building sets she has gotten as gifts. She follows instructions well or free forms her creations.
We’ve recently discovered a way to assist her building – especially when I am not much help when it comes to building things at all. (Do you know the episode of the Simpson’s when Homer builds a BBQ and it’s a disaster? I feel like that is Andy and I at times).
If you visit the Goldieblox YouTube channel, there are mini projects recorded with step by step instructions. She recently saw a couple projects in one of her Goldieblox books but they were just pictures of ‘things you can make with this set’. No written instructions. If it weren’t for the YouTube videos, I don’t think I could have figured out the pieces to use!
The videos are easy to follow, easy to pause to catch up (in fact, there are moments in the video that specify it being a good time to click pause) and she was able to follow along herself, pressing play and pause as she needed to. I especially loved how in the beginning the video clearly shows all the pieces needed to build the projects, and how carefully she kept laying out the pieces herself to make sure she was all set.
These hands on projects are really great ways for kids to keep busy, and the how-to videos are just another really neat component to help them out.
Here’s the first video she watched to follow along with. It’s to make a Cup and Ball! Click over to their channel for more!
