GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When young kids get a spurt of imagination and inspiration there is nothing they can't accomplish. 5-year-old Judah Kamstra is a perfect example of that, after he got inspiration to build a bridge at his childcare center.
Most children are interested in playing and exploring, but Kamstra is interested in a very different type of activity - engineering.
“I thought it’d be fun to have another play structure," the 5-year-old said about the playground at his childcare center, Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center.
He took that idea and excitedly brought it to his childcare educators at the center where they started brainstorming, drawing out plans and even fundraising for the project.
“At one point, he was standing in the front of the center, asking parents as they walked in, to give him money to build the bridge. He was advocating for himself! He was fundraising," executive director of the center Starr Morgan said.
“So this is string that you like swing across and here you can walk across and here are some stairs you can walk down," Kamstra said as he showed off his blueprints and drawings.
After planning out his bridge, the eager 5-year-old actually helped build it.
“I put some holes in the bridge and I put the rope on, he said.
One year later, the bridge is an integral part of the playground and is something Judah can be proud of as he shows it off to his friends.
Maybe in another 20 years, Judah will build something even bigger as he receives his first taste of what it takes to build something from start to finish.
