while we're on the topic of bracelets this week, my attention has been drawn to the silly bandz craze of the last few months. i'm sure you already know about them, but just in case - they're thin silicone bracelets (much like the jelly bracelets of my childhood) in fun shapes when they're off your wrist, but conform to a regular bracelet shape when on.
kids across the country are collecting and trading them like crazy, so much so that they've been banned from all schools in certain states. i'm less interested in that whole debate - obviously if they're creating too much of a distraction in an educational environment, they've got to go, though i think some teachers' strategies of using them as rewards for good behavior is pretty genius.
what i do care about, and am really thrilled about, is that, at about $5 for a package of 24 bandz, this trend is something so affordable that most kids can participate. on top of that, i love that it's age-appropriate and that it engenders interaction and playing together, rather than each kid having their head buried in an iphone. not only are they getting peer interaction, but they're having fun and learning important social skills along the way, something that lots of kids' trends used to teach, but the digital age has, in many ways, taken away. i love the simplicity and innocence of this for today's kids, don't you?
the today show did a cute story on the fad, and i was really touched by the anecdote one mother told. she shared that the children were often known to each give a couple of bandz to the children who didn't have any...i think it's very nice evidence that when children are happy and having fun, and secure in the abundance they are lucky to have, they feel compelled to give that feeling to others even if it means having less themselves.would it be weird to get a package for myself? okay, yes, it would. but i do love it for the little guys and gals.
top photo from flickr, 2nd and 3rd photos from as seen on tv guys, 4th photo from amazon, 5th photo from american cheerleader, 6th photo from daily news
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4 comments:
I am glad the kids are sharing. My son didn't have any and they're sold out everywhere here. Now he at least has two. It is a cute fad and reminds me of the 80's when the plastic charms were so popular.
My daughter loves these darn things. And it seems like wherever I go they sell them and she gets me every time. However, they are cute and you're right they SO remind me of the jelly bracelets of our time (which she gets too!).
Janet - Amazon has them for sale, don't know if you've tried. Here are some: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=silly+bandz
some of the young girls who i teach pilates to wear these...i saw one of them was a dove...i actually considered wearing it...i thought it would be cool to wear one that means something to me, ie. a peace dove...i choose to leave it to the kids though.
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