Thinking outside the box – a skill that's easy to lose.

In 1968, researchers George Land and Beth Jarman built a creativity test for NASA – to pick out its most original engineers and scientists. Then they gave the same test to children. The result was shocking.

Among 4–5-year-olds, 98% scored at the level of a "creative genius." The same children were tested five years later, at 10 – only 30% were left. By 15 – 12%. And among adults (a sample of more than 200,000 people) – fewer than 2%.

The takeaway is simple and uncomfortable: we're born with this kind of thinking, but we lose it as we grow up and move through school. A world of ready answers and single "correct" solutions quickly crowds out the ability to think differently.

But since it's a skill, it doesn't have to be lost. The secret is simple: ask your child open questions and explore the options together, without chasing a single "right" answer – there may not be one. The more paths a child finds today, the more possibilities are open to them tomorrow.

How WINGS helps with that

WINGS turns moments like these into a habit. Every day, one short screen-free activity, picked by age (2–14):

• Under 5 minutes – in the car, in the kitchen, before bed.
• Nothing to buy – if anything's needed, it's already at home.
• With hints for you – it's clear how to start and what to do when your child goes quiet.

All of it drawn from six of the best parenting books, for one thing: raising a child who thinks. No ads, no pushing.

5 days of WINGS – free

Leave your email and your child's age. Five days in a row – one activity a day, matched to their stage, right in your inbox.