Maximalist Manifesto: Creating a Prepared Environment

As an unschooler, something I find crucial is keeping a stimulating environment. Every part of our home is brimming with carefully selected books, games, toys, art supplies and especially technological devices of all sorts.  My own obsessive nature dictates that I have a ridiculous amount of toys and books within a series so there is never a shortage of comprehensive materials.  I have heard the statement that less is more but that doesn't really ring true here at the Harrington house of part-time hoarding. I have written many times about the gentle art of "strewing."  In reality, it is a disorganized person's excuse for not spending time straightening up the miscellaneous everything that abounds one's home and car. Strewing is the random placement of interesting materials spread around the house in the hopes of inspiring interest.  This decorating technique is especially effective with books; however, any item can be strategically or haphazardly placed and will always be met with enthusiasm in this household. New and novel usually draws their attention and piques their curiosity.

I have an affinity for magnetic toys, especially the building variety, so whenever new ones come onto the market I do not hesitate to acquire them.  Captivating building toys guarantee unlimited hours of creativity for my younger son.  Aside from our wonderful magnetic building collection of Magformers, Magnatiles, Tegu, and Y-Ball my youngest collects traditional building toys like Lego, Citiblocs, Zoob and our new favorite Plus Plus and he loves to transform random household items into little domiciles.  He may be a budding architect with his delicate balance of symmetry, color palette and design abilities that are nurtured through unlimited access to fascinating objects and no imagination restriction.


We also have several fidgety, sensory toys everywhere you look because you just never know when you might need to squish or twist something. Fortunately, fidgeters may find refuge in every room of the house.  Manipulatives of all varieties are generally out in the open which my youngest son uses for many different creative activities as well as for maths and spelling.  The key is providing easy access to a wide range of interesting, colorful, and relevant materials. 

For my screen dependent older child, strewing comes in the form of emails mostly and, unfortunately, they sometimes get ignored; however, in theory, it is a great method for a child who enjoys checking their email regularly.  Another online trick is to merely keep a few webpages open that may foster an interest in pursuing it further.  Apps are easily the shiniest item that I add to our collection of intriguing learning assets.  Real time access to a new interest is easily sated by a quick trip to the App Store.  My kids can learn anything if delivered in the right manner which is uniquely related to books, audiovisuals and iDevice apps.  Once a child's interests and needs becomes clear, then supporting that interest with additional, relatable materials can help enhance the depth of it.

In terms of parenting tricks for out of the box gifted kiddos my philosophy is to relinquish control. Not because I am other than a control freak but because my kids demand autonomy and trying to inject my opinions or agenda into their lives will wreak havoc on all of us.  My influence needs to be rather innocuous to be successful. Strewing is effective because it is passive and in plain view.  Any attempt to blatantly tell my children to engage in something that they are not interested in will not result in compliance. And, I wouldn't want it to. I am uniquely uninterested in raising compliant, obedient children so allowing them the freedom to figure out their own passions is paramount to their personal development.  

Unschooling and strewing do not have to be an expensive endeavor as the library and free online resources are your best friends.  We frequent the library several times a week and the car is filled with 30 plus books at a time.  For us, car strewing is essential for keeping boredom and sibling squabbles at bay.  Idleness and time wasting activities are hard for all of us, so we really require plentiful books and activities wherever we are.  We have found that the car is a wonderful place to listen to audiobooks that we may never get around to reading.  Another on the go favorite of mine is Mad Libs which is a fun, portable learning tool that is ideal for restaurants or errand runs. Utilizing the car as an extension of your learning day can be so effective that there is a book on it, Carschooling, which provides you with many ideas on how to maximize the car ride.

Unschooling creative, gifted children may create chaos in your home if you are a neat freak who likes clear surfaces and floors.  I have always been an aspiring minimalist but with a house filled with animals and curious children, a spotless home is an unattainable fantasy. As much as I enjoy going to other people's neat and well manicured homes, there is an energy missing when everything looks and feels like a show home.  I like seeing creative interests out in the open.   The out of sight, out of mind sentiment greatly affects us so, without capitalizing on the art of strewing, there wouldn't be as much creative expression. My desire for minimalism will never reach fruition because without our plethora of engaging resources abound we would live a very sterile and unproductive life.

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