Today was my daughter’s birthday party. She received many gifts (Barbie accoutrement, Legos) that required assembly. It was a chance to see her at work and to see how she handled adversity in the midst of learning.
She spent nearly four hours assembling various Lego sets. The sets all contained pictorial instructions. Her work on these sets occasioned many good moments.
- She achieved a flow state. She was working at a level just beyond her comfort zone but was actively engage in such a way that she basically lost track of time.
- She asked for help when she needed it.
- She had to constantly problem solve in order to put some relatively complex sets together.
- She finished the day with a sense of accomplishment. She was able to see what she had made.
The downside:
- Occasionally she would get frustrated, and her fixed mindset language would come out. “This is hopeless. I’ll never be able to do this.”
- Asking for help is good. Relying on help to solve every difficult problem is bad. I don’t know that I helped solve this conundrum.
- She’s not interested in figuring out new and creative Lego creations. She wants to follow the directions, and that’s it. Once they’re made, they’re made. My question: was today the most she will ever play with these Legos?
I led a day camp this summer and had a chance to see firsthand how much flow-state Legos could occasion. I am going to try and guide Catherine towards more creative, less instruction-guided, free-play with them.
Learning Together 