Gever Tulley is the founder of Tinkering School which allows children the time, space and real tools to make things. In 2009 he spoke about his school at TED.
He has also a book out which intrigued me, titled “Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do)” it sets out to be a “manifesto for kids and parents alike to reclaim childhood.” The accompanying website provides space for people to share their stories about the projects they have completed and to reflect on what happened. That is where I discovered Liz Smith’s comment explaining how she and her boys had completed the Play With Fire task, I thought it expressed so much about learning, parenting and life.
Fire is an awesome thing, it creates and destroys and often simultaneously. My sons Josh and Hooper can often be found hovering around our backyard fire pit testing the power of the flame. Water is a necessity, as is basic safety(no bare feet, long pants, awareness) and we have learned some powerful lessons. Fireplay from a fairly early age-s\’mores were just the beginning- has allowed my sons to be aware, be careful and be adventurous. My eldest, now fifteen, is a certified blacksmith and has constructed a simple traditional forge with his dad in our urban backyard. The nine year old has created primitive pigments and used the blackened ends of sticks to draw and decorate the patio(rain washes it away) and on occasion himself. We have cooked entire primitive meals over this fire pit, and watching the boys experiment with both the heat and the aftermath of fire has been a powerful parenting tool. We have burnt fingers, made holes in pants, and seen what happens when we heat a variety of materials. Being able to be safe and independently explore fire is a necessary skill, it confirms knowledge is safety, and it allows them to hold the power to create objects and light the night skies.
I think I would like to visit Gever’s school one day.
What intrigues me is how the children who take part then go back into normal school life – how has the experience affected them? What new skills do they put to work? Do they see school in a different light? Do they hold on to the “anything is possible” spark when they return home, to school and to learning?
