Welcome to August! Joining us today is track B mom, Gina Planeta, for our next Summer Stunner series. Happy reading!
When I first volunteered to write a wonder themed blog for SLOCA this summer I had this great idea to share the questions my kids asked while we were in San Diego to attend San Diego Comic Con. Now in the event you’re not a geek, or avid Big Bang Theory watcher, comic cons are essentially geek heaven. They’re full of people in the coolest costumes (cosplayers), artists selling all sorts of art, vendors selling nearly anything and everything, and lots and lots of comic book bins. Now, SDCC isn’t just a comic con, it’s THE comic con. It takes over San Diego for a long weekend once a year with 135,000+ attendees and it’s now an all around pop-culture staple featuring big time signings, huge movie announcements, and lots of books for sale. (I’m in it for the free books!) Obviously, my kids were going to ask a ton of questions. They never stop talking. Ever. I figured I could share all the fun questions they asked and it would be great.
How many questions did we get after two multi-hour days on the convention floor and a trip for badge (ticket) pickup? One. Yeah, my three SLOCA kids asked a whopping 1 question total. I got some questions at the zoo and around San Diego that I’ll include down below, but Comic Con itself was a bust.
At first I panicked a bit. What do I write about now? There went my idea. But then I realized it was such a great lesson in what learning, and engagement, can look like. Frequently we take our child’s visible engagement as clues into how much they’re wondering or how they’re taking in a new topic. Are they asking questions? Do they explain the topic in their own words? Are they bright-eyed and eager? The obvious clues are the easiest signs.
The problem is, that’s not always how we experience wonder or engage a new topic. There are times when our best course when taking on something new is to just absorb. Save it all to memory. Not asking questions doesn’t mean we aren’t amazed or intrigued. Maybe we’re just SO amazed by the unfamiliar, unexpected, or beautiful that all we can do is soak it up like a sponge.
On reflection, that’s exactly what my kids did at San Diego Comic Con. They went with the flow, held hands tightly through the massive crowds, got their first taste of standing in trains packed with people, chose unique souvenirs to spend their money on, and even stood in lines early in the morning reading Harry Potter waiting for the hot LEGO exclusive with throngs of other people. They had the time of their lives and the two bigger girls say they’re looking forward to next year if we’re lucky enough to get tickets again. My kids were absorbing everything and were happy to be there. They just experienced the zoo and the convention floor in different ways.
Wonder and learning look different for different people. It can even look different for the same person depending on the circumstances. It was a good lesson for me to be reminded of as we prepare for another school year and new discoveries.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, that one question we got the whole time we were at the convention center? Our oldest (currently in Primary) asked if it was okay for someone to dress up as a Harry Potter character. She had seen another attendee in a witch costume and wanted to come as Hermione Granger next year.
Other verbally expressed wonderings:
- “We’re in San Diego. Do you think we’ll see Carmen San Deigo?” (Emma, Primary)
- “How do they do polar bears (at the zoo)? Polar bears live in cold areas.” (Emma)
- “How many sharks are in there?” while checking out the penguin and shark exhibit (Emma)
- “What’s a stadium?” (Penny, Kindergarten)
and my personal favorite…
- “Why all them fish is next to you?” while her and her dad stood next to a fish tank (Ryan, preschool)
