I’d like to share with you a fun little tradition my daughter has started in our household.
My daughter had asked if I’d create zen-tangles with her at bedtime in lieu of bedtime stories. She’s a super reader, so if she wanted to switch it up a little, I was game. Very quickly, I realized these drawings were not zen-tangles. They were something else.
My daughter and I take turns each night. One person draws a strange shape on a piece of paper, the other person gets to decide what they think that shape should turn into. We then take our collection of Sharpies and doodle together to create that character.
I’ve decided to call the game “Finding Shapes in the Clouds”.
OK. So now that you understand the premise, you can play along!
What do you see in this shape? Me, I see a bunny rabbit…
but my daughter saw a duck in a beret!
How about this one? One of the United States? Maybe a ski boot?
I saw a Dorito-eating monster washing them down with Coca-Cola. Notice the yellow teeth? It’s a naughty monster. A naughty monster wearing nine Converse sneakers!
Hmm…what do you see? A deformed ear?
How about a dog with a goatee named Calliope!
My daughter instantly saw a Toucan bird filled with exotic plumage…that’s what you were seeing too right?
These are two more we did, but I don’t have the blank shape for them.
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My daughter can be quite stubborn. I am not allowed to teach her anything. She just says “I know Mom…I know….”
She doesn’t know everything! That is what is making this project great. She gets to call the shots part of the time and the other part of the time she is under the illusion that we are simply simultaneously doodling.
Not true! There’s way more to it.
On the turtle, she mimicked three different patterns I was working on; a checker-board, brocade and line motif. I don’t even know if she realized where I left off and she began…(shh! I got to teach her a little bit about pattern!)
On the fish I taught her how to draw a scale or petal pattern. On the Toucan bird I taught her the Herringbone pattern. All together, I’m teaching her to use her imagination and look for things that the average eye may not see.
It’s brilliant!
My daughter just thinks we’re doodling but secretly she’s learning.
Best of all, I win because I have found a small little moment of the day, where I can bond with my daughter.
Shh, don’t tell her!
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