1 of 10 adult Americans got this wrong.

"Full of random knowledge" is how my wife describes me. While it may lead to some interesting dinner conversations, it's also sparked a passion for fostering curiosity in our children.

Recently, I've been captivated by a game show called "The 1% Club." The premise? Answer 15 questions correctly while 99 others get one wrong, and you could win $100k. The questions, based on surveys of adult Americans, get progressively harder.

One question particularly caught my attention, and not in a good way.

"Which country below comes earliest alphabetically? Zimbabwe, Africa, Brazil, China, Tahiti."

Shockingly, only 1 out of 10 adults got this right.

Curious, I posed the same question to my 7-year-old son. Without hesitation, he answered correctly. When I asked how he knew, he simply said, "Africa is a continent and Brazil is a country."

His response wasn't just correct; it demonstrated understanding. After a few minutes of him leaving the room, my wife smiled and said “I’m not surprised that he got it right, because look at the both of them right now.”

I looked in the living room to see both boys playing with Leapfrog’s Globe and Telescope.

This moment crystallized our parenting philosophy: children are natural sponges, absorbing knowledge from their environment. While my generation learned that "TNT" meant dynamite from Roadrunner cartoons, our sons are learning about continents, countries, and flags from educational toys.

We firmly believe that learning should be fun and engaging, especially for Generation Alpha growing up in a screen-dominated world. That's why we carefully choose toys that foster discovery and nurture curiosity. These aren't tools for homework; they're gateways to adventure and knowledge.

Take our car rides, for instance. Instead of handing them a phone or tablet, we give them an interactive map of America. It's amazing how many questions and conversations spring from this simple "analog tablet."

When planning vacations, we involve our boys by showing him our destination on a physical map. Their endless questions led us to invest in those LeapFrog toys, which have grown with them over the years, offering new challenges as they develop.

Our approach is simple: lean into their natural curiosity. Rather than downloading an app or finding a YouTube video, we seek out tangible, interactive ways for them to learn. It's about creating an environment where our children can become lifelong learners, driven by their own innate desire to understand the world around them.

In a world where screens dominate, we've found that sometimes the best learning tools are the ones you can touch, manipulate, and explore with your own hands. It's not about shunning technology, but about balancing it with real-world experiences that spark joy and foster deep understanding.

As parents, we're not just teaching our children facts; we're nurturing their curiosity, critical thinking, and love for learning. And in doing so, we're preparing them for a future where adaptability and a thirst for knowledge will be their greatest assets.

Fun Family Activity - Outdoor Movie 🍿📽️ 

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Age: All
Cost: Low (maybe even free)

I told my son how I saw Empire Strikes Back outside when I was a kid, and ever since he’s wanted to experience the same thing. So I’m pulling out the projector and folding chairs this weekend and we’re going to watch a movie outside. (Might even be Empire, much to my wife’s chagrin.)

I have this projector which came with a screen, but you don’t need to get this. If you’ve got a projector already, use a wall or bedsheet. If not, I imagine you’ve got a flat screen TV, bring that outside.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or require a movie theater setup. Just some way of being able to spend a couple of hours in the yard with the family making memories.

Enjoy! 🍿 

Learn something new,
Rick