Etch, Sketch, Stretch

by Kim Brewster

Spring cleaning often uncovers items we had long forgotten about or had been searching for. This year’s spring cleaning in my 13 year old daughter’s room uncovered an Etch-a-Sketch. You most likely have one or had one of these very popular drawing toys, released at the beginning of the baby boom years. It’s immediately recognizable with its square red edges, gray center and two white round knobs.

Instead of putting it in a box to be hidden from sight, I set it aside until the room cleaning process was complete. After all, I had set this spring cleaning task on my calendar and was determined to check it off as complete.

Now I could spend a few minutes sketching. The first few turns of the knobs let me know I was very out of practice. But just a few minutes of focus and concentration unlocked some latent spatial abilities and allowed me to actively get two hands and one brain to work in conjunction with each other.

With a little more practice, I was able to morph the lines I had created into curves allowing for more detail in my sketch. Etch-a-Sketch is actually addicting, so you may want to set aside some interrupted time to enjoy it.

The handiest tool the Etch-a-Sketch offers is the ability to erase mistakes quickly and easily by just turning it upside down with a few gentle side-to-side shakes. We’ve all experienced having a day turned upside down and the feeling of being bounced around. However, when you are right-side up again, it’s like starting anew with a blank slate, a clean screen.

A few minutes of Etch-a-Sketch time allows us the ability to “think outside the box” and experience being in the present moment. Use of this simple toy allows us to s-t-r-e-t-c-h in ways we may not have considered.

Why not add an Etch-a-Sketch to your tool box? It’s also a thoughtful gift no matter the age of the recipient.