As I toured one of the most traditional and innovative kibbutzim in Israel, our host pointed out the kindergarten playground. I thought I was looking at the community junk yard. But no, the discarded household objects, clothing and industrial equipment had been salvaged as raw material for the local children's imaginative play. Looking closely, I saw cars, spaceships, homes, hospitals, restaurants, you name it, all assembled by busy little hands and minds. In the US we've long ago regulated against exposing kids to rough edges, rust and loose screws. But most of us have observed how children are less enthralled with the toy than the box it came in. And maybe we can learn some lessons from models like this one on the kibbutz, where, according to our host, he hasn't seen a boo-boo yet that couldn't be treated with a Band-Aid. But he has seen plenty of budding genius and good old fashioned Israeli ingenuity.
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AuthorSusan. Traveling again. And writing about it. ArchivesCategories
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