Encourage creative play

You've probably noticed that all children love to play. Not all play is equal, though. These days, children spend so much time on watching screens that it requires little or no interaction. Not all gadgets are bad, but too much screen time robs a child of creating the skills necessary for imagination.

A child is constantly exploring, adapting, engaging, responding and readapting to everything he encounters. That explains why toys and activities that promote creativity have to remain open-ended. Open-ended toys can be enjoyed by boys and girls, appeal to a wide age range, and don’t need adult demonstrations.

More importantly though, children can engage in physical and mental stimulation that requires manipulation and touch with these open-ended play materials. They want to role-play freely, and express themselves through their own thoughts while developing various senses through creative play.

So let’s get practical now. What if we want our children to be able to play more creatively, but don’t know where to start? Here are some ideas to encourage creative play:

Concede a little mess

With creativity comes a mess. Set up a dedicated ‘mess area’ so that there is minimal worry of a mess mushrooming in random places of your home. Do stock up on those art supplies: crayons, markers, paints and coloured pencils. Throw in a recycling box consisting of tissue boxes, cereal boxes, toilet rolls and milk cartons, complete with glue and watch the most creative expression come alive.

Storytelling

Oral storytelling is best because it encourages children to create their own images in their minds.   They need experiences from which to build these pictures, so begin with stories about their own adventures.

Open-ended playthings

You can’t do better than a good supply of basic building blocks, is what I have always advocated ever since I became a parent. Provide toys that can be used in a variety of ways and need a child’s interaction. Dress-up clothes and hats, cars and trains, dolls and animals, building block sets and LEGO bricks are just some of the toys that require a child’s essential input to make them come to life.

Go outdoors

Experiences in the outdoors develop curiosity and a sense of wonder, so trips to the parks and playgrounds further aid in a child’s visual and auditory stimulation. In addition, playing with other children outdoors will allow them to learn how to interact, and also, practice their ability to adapt to the surrounding environment and learn how to respect another’s opinion.

Ask questions that require decision-making

With young children, sometimes a few questions requiring response help boost creative play. If your kids begin making up a game, join in. Ask questions that require them to make up the next step, like “So when I place these blocks here, what do I do next?” The kids are still creating, and you’re just providing more opportunities for them to create.

At the end of the day, creativity is not something that you can put a score to. The process is more important than the final product. Let us not impose our adult consciousness onto our little ones when it comes to something as important as our child’s play. So the next time your child is busy slaying dragons or having tea with the Queen, let them truly indulge. And play.

Kelvin is a Daddy Blogger and is remarkably blessed with 3 kids, 2 terrapins and 1 fabulous wife. Other than masquerading as a part-time superhero to his kids, he loves sussing out the best kid-friendly places in town. Watch him get twirled around their fingers at www.cheekiemonkie.net. Kelvin also co-founded Daddy Matters, an online community of active dads, hoping to learn as well as promote the message of active fatherhood through to everyone.