What are funasticals? How can they lead us to success?
The urban word, funtastical, means extraordinarily enjoyable. I went a little further, dropped the “t,” and created funastical, a blend of fun and fantastical, meaning embracing life’s joy, curiosity and quirky side.
“The name is Bond, Molecular Bond!”
Okay, I’m not James Bond, Sherlock Holmes or William Murdoch. However, I share a common thirst for the truth and a strong sense of justice. In a blog post about letting go of the past, I talked about getting rid of teaching materials, believing it was the end of a career, leading to me feeling lost. It is funny how devotion to a subject never leaves and causes people to persevere until they get where they want to be.
My love of languages, wordplay, and applying science to twisting perspectives has also created unusual thinking patterns. I take inspiration from Maria Montessori, M.C. Escher, Lewis Carole, Edward Lear, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jim Henson and Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), to name a few. These people pushed the envelope with their imaginative thinking, leaving the world a better place.
So, when my munchkins say to me:
“Mum, how do they make Minecraft? Why does it work differently on my iPad than on my Chromebook?” A lesson in coding seems to be in order.
“I want to be able to create a robot that I can program or perhaps make my Lego Technic monster truck move remotely.” We need a trip to the science centre.
When I asked myself:
“I can no longer have dairy. How can I still enjoy cake?” I need to experiment with the chemistry involved in baking.
“What will a future with AI be like?” Perhaps there is a webinar I can attend or an article I can read.
Whatever the question or the concern, I derive the most satisfaction from connecting with others to share and discuss the answer. As a magpie for information, I’ve learned much from my research, exploration and experimentation. Below are some examples of resources I have found and created to help explain topics of interest.
Spacemen puppets. Initially made for a virtual birthday party, they have become a fun puppet to make. This versatile design has been used for role play, singing, dancing and speech therapy target word or sound practice.
Moon colouring page. If the moon were a cookie, would you eat it? An amusing question was asked by Cookie Monster, where he sang, in the simplest terms, the effects our moon has on Earth.
Robot invention activity page. For exploring robots and engineering. The cogs, if cut onto stiff cardboard, will turn. I used a Cricut desktop cutter. However, it is an excellent task for fine motor control and experimenting with precision. The robot has been dismantled and remade into a moveable prototype.
Gingerbread men. These adorable men are gobbled up by many who see them! The whole story at Christmas can be used to memorable effect. I have been in programs that have even made gingerbread play dough! I also used them as gift tags on teacher gifts!