"Putt-Putt Joins the Circus"

I got this game from the library in the afternoon. After we got back from Supriya's gymnastics she had a slice of bread in milk and got to work on the game. She came down around a little over an hour later with a look of satisfaction, having completed the game! The episode reminded me of the time when she did "Putt-Putt Save the Zoo." She was probably four-and-a half, and she spent about 2 hours cracking the game. I remember being extremely impressed by her concentration and the fact that she did this without any help from anybody. In fact the game came without a manual, so there was no chance of me helping her even if I had wanted to.

Manisha and I have made it a conscious decision not to interfere when either of the kids is engrossed in an activity like this. Deep learning happens under these conditions (quite apart from the "meta-learning" about personal autonomy and being in control of your own life), and we want to encourage these kinds of immersion experiences & obsessions. That is how you build your own self.