[Magdalen] Toys for the young engineer

[Susan Hagen]

I was thinking of Erector sets too!  My friend's big brother had one
and I lusted after it but he was pretty graphic about what he would do
if we touched it.  I remember I gave Lexi a handheld microscope meant
for taking on hikes and stream explorations and she loved that.  I'll
keep it in mind for Dylan.  Right now I think I'm going to look for
toys where you build things.  Especially flying machines.

Susan

On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 11:51 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, all that would certainly upset a kid! Good grief!
>
> Do they still make anything like Erector sets? My brothers and I had hours
> of fun with those. It sounds like they'd be right up his alley. Or in
> another direction, perhaps a microscope. You can find a decent used one on
> eBay. My middle grandson adores his.
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 11:37 AM, Susan Hagen <susanvhagen at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It's a little more than boredom.  He's a little boy who has been
>> through a lot:  fractured family, parents in and out of jail, shared
>> custody with part time spent in a less than ideal environment, the
>> death of his great-grandaddy, his very best buddy.  He has a short
>> fuse and a real temper, can act aggressively and oppositionally.
>> Shelia had a very thorough evaluation done.  No ADHD, way above
>> average verbal and analytical abilities.  She is going to start all of
>> them going back to a therapist who worked very well with them
>> previously.
>>
>> He's a great kid, just needs some help and guidance learning to
>> channel his energies and reactions.  He has just started kindergarten,
>> loves it very much and the school seems to take this kind of challenge
>> in stride.   It looks like this is going to give him more scope for
>> his interests than the pre-school he attended before.
>>
>> Susan
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 9:50 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Behavior issues? How much of that do you reckon is boredom and impatience
>> > with the usual approaches to and supposed interests of kids his age? An
>> > extraordinarily bright child, particularly a boy, might well be bored to
>> > tears with that sort of stuff and much more lkely than most girls to show
>> > impatience.
>> >
>> > On Monday, October 27, 2014, Susan Hagen <susanvhagen at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Thank you!  I was really blown away watching him.
>> >> Susan
>> >>
>> >> On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 9:27 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com
>> >> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>> >> > Susan,
>> >> > These look too simple for Dylan as you describe him. There are
>> >> electronics kits for kids that allow them to build different things that
>> >> work, much like chemistry sets.
>> >> > If you have time, I'd suggest a trip to C'ville to the toy stores
>> >> Alakazam! or Shenanigans. They have wonderful, off-the-beaten-track
>> >> selections and would be able to make suggestions. And I'd be happy to go
>> >> with you; I love good toy stores.
>> >> >
>> >> >> On Oct 27, 2014, at 8:30 PM, Susan Hagen <susanvhagen at gmail.com
>> >> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I spent Sunday with my friend Shelia and her grandchildren.  Dylan
>> has
>> >> >> just turned 6.  Recent evaluations have shown him with some behavior
>> >> >> issues but with visual/spatial/analytical skills far beyond his
>> years.
>> >> >> He is passionate about airplanes and helicopters, showed my an
>> >> >> extensive portfolio of photos, art projects, diagrams of such that he
>> >> >> explained very clearly.  He has progressed from Duplos to Legos and
>> >> >> spent the afternoon assembling quite complex flying machines with
>> tiny
>> >> >> little components.  I asked how he knew how to do them and he whipped
>> >> >> out the story-board type instructions and explained that you do the
>> >> >> number 1 picture, then the number 2 step and so on.  I was
>> >> >> flabbergasted since most adults I know can't or won't read and follow
>> >> >> instructions.  I tell you that the next time I have to set up
>> >> >> electronic equipment from the wretched pictorial instructions I'm
>> >> >> going to get him to do it.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I'm looking for toys that would appeal to this budding geek for
>> >> >> Christmas.  Would you who are or who have raised this kind of kid
>> make
>> >> >> some suggestions?  I did find this promising site:
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toy_categories/kites_planes_rockets/index.cfm
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Thanks,
>> >> >> Susan
>> >> >>
>> >> >> --
>> >> >> Before enlightenment pay bills, do laundry.  After enlightenment pay
>> >> >> bills, do laundry.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Before enlightenment pay bills, do laundry.  After enlightenment pay
>> >> bills, do laundry.
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Before enlightenment pay bills, do laundry.  After enlightenment pay
>> bills, do laundry.
>>



-- 
Before enlightenment pay bills, do laundry.  After enlightenment pay
bills, do laundry.