Rocco, take your knife and go outside and play...

One of these days I think it would be fun to attend a TED conference.

Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School, talks about our new wave of overprotected kids -- and spells out 5 (and really, he's got 6) dangerous things you should let your kids do. Allowing kids the freedom to explore, he says, will make them stronger and smarter and actually safer.

I agree with all of this 110%. It's a complex world, one that is both dangerous and exciting, often all at the same time. The sooner my kids understand how it works the sooner they can manipulate it to their own whims. People often equate safety with avoidance, but what happens when kids are taught to fear everything?