I am not the most disciplined writer. When writer's block hits, my attention goes south and I need a diversion until the gears begin churning again. Often, I wind up on Facebook. Sometimes, that's not such a bad thing. Other times, I know I have just wasted 15 minutes of my life I won't get back. I have found a solution, though--a way to change gears and always get something out of it.
I found Invention at Play by the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center. It's a center for Invention and Innovation. There's nothing like playing a creative game when you need to find your center of focus. My favorite is Tinker Ball. At least it was until my 12-year-old far exceeded my ability in this game. Oh, well, I've always wanted him to grow up smarter than me. Just wasn't planning on it happening this soon.
The Smithsonian History Explorer is another educational pastime that I just found. From photos of artifacts to interactive games, you can set your child up by grade-level to explore all sorts of eras in history.
I'm never going to outgrow the threat of writer's block. But, I can wrangle myself away from Facebook when it bites--sometimes.
