Yesterday, I was looking for something fun to read at the library and stumbled across a book called, “Geek Dad” (by Ken Denmead, blogger on site of the same name). Most of the projects are targeted toward the elementary set, which makes it chronologically a bit out of sync for the frequenters of this forum (10 years too “late” for most mentors and 10 years too “early” for most students).
Still, the idea of digitally customized dot-to-dot puzzles and light-up duct tape wallets is fun for any age. There is an appealing blend of techie and anti-electronic philosophy – create and print out your favorite Nauga coloring sheet for the doctor’s office, and leave the Nintendo DS at home.
We shipped our son off to college (again) this week, and I descended into a teary-eyed wave of nostalgia, recalling the days of cardboard forts, paper-towel tube Rube-goldbergs, and exploding film canister rockets (which will now truly be a relic of the past). Thankfully, I still have a daughter at home (who gets a triple share of the mom hugs). At 16, she still pulls items out of the dress-up box for Spirit days at school.