Jack doesn't have many "activities." I don't relish the thought of driving him to soccer, piano lessons, gymnastics, tae kwon do, KidzArt, swim team, T-ball, so on, and so forth. Not to say that I don't recognize the value of these activities, but I witness firsthand the toll a full schedule takes on little ones. On Monday nights Jack and his cousin participate in Young Champions of America Karate, which is more about learning discipline, respect, and self defense than it is about martial arts.
Recently we've picked up a new activity, which is also about learning discipline, respect, and creativity: Tucson Lego Club.
He was invited to join by Nathan and Lucas, friends from church who also attended the preschool a few years ahead of Jack. Here he sits between them, at a table surrounded by 6 other boys, each of them building a lavish Lego creation.
Members spend an hour building and fraternizing, sometimes more fraternizing than building, but at the end of the hour each of them has produced something meaningful to them.
At which point they gather around another table, with their creations in front of them, and listen as each child tells the group about what he created and why he created it. By secret ballot each child gets to vote on which creation he likes best, and the parents get to vote on which presentation they like best. After the votes are tallied, the three winners get a Lego prize.
Jack was jazzed to spend the afternoon building with Legos new to him, and I'm glad for the opportunity it gives him to speak in front of a group about something he made. The prizes are major incentive... I wonder how long we can maintain interest? I'm glad it's just once a month.
Recently we've picked up a new activity, which is also about learning discipline, respect, and creativity: Tucson Lego Club.
He was invited to join by Nathan and Lucas, friends from church who also attended the preschool a few years ahead of Jack. Here he sits between them, at a table surrounded by 6 other boys, each of them building a lavish Lego creation.
Members spend an hour building and fraternizing, sometimes more fraternizing than building, but at the end of the hour each of them has produced something meaningful to them.
At which point they gather around another table, with their creations in front of them, and listen as each child tells the group about what he created and why he created it. By secret ballot each child gets to vote on which creation he likes best, and the parents get to vote on which presentation they like best. After the votes are tallied, the three winners get a Lego prize.
Jack was jazzed to spend the afternoon building with Legos new to him, and I'm glad for the opportunity it gives him to speak in front of a group about something he made. The prizes are major incentive... I wonder how long we can maintain interest? I'm glad it's just once a month.
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