I want kids to know the nervousness of building a tall wobbly block tower and the despair when it topples.
I want kids to know what it’s like to have paint on your hands and arms and be so into painting that you just don’t even notice.
I want kids to know how that little part in your stomach drops when you raise your foot up to a higher branch or climb to the top rung on the slide.
I want kids to know how to lose track of time building a city out of cardboard. Then building a monster to tear it all down.
I want kids to know what it’s like to roll down a grassy hill and have green knees. And get a little itchy.
I want kids to know that feeling of trying to cut paper that’s too thick. And the scissors are so hard to move.
I want kids to know how a balloon makes hair stand up. I want them to know the feeling of wondering why.
I want kids to know what it’s like to jump in a puddle and have it be deeper than expected. And getting socks soaked.
I want kids to know that technology is not just about games. Apps and laptops and tablets and phones are about far more than badges and levels. Technology is also for creating. Creating virtual block towers and rotating them to develop a new way to build. Researching static electricity by watching a science video on YouTube. Taking a video of the way your hair stands on end when it’s charged, laughing, and sending it to your grandma to make her day. Checking the weather for optimum puddle jumping days or sharing a photograph with a friend who never sees much rain where he lives.
All of the things that make childhood fun? They are learning. No badge is required. Thinking, problem solving, pure play.
That’s what I want kids to know.