When kids play, they’re not just pretending. They’re learning.
The toys and tools we give them help inspire that — whether it’s markers and crayons, building blocks, dolls or kitchen play sets.
“Things like a set of dollhouse people has them creating different scenarios,” said Autumn Ruhe, owner of Mildred and Dildred toy store. “They start learning about problem solving. They’re working on relationships between people, acting out things they see in real life and making sense of the world through play. When kids are playing, they’re always learning.”
Providing children with the proper tools is one sure way to keep kids playing creatively, says Retha Davis who owns The Kid’s Center with her husband Jim.
“My philosophy is to keep feeding them different things to explore and be creative with and not sit in front of DVD movies and electronic keyboards,” Davis said. “They can learn some things in front of electronic keyboards, but to explore the real world around us they need to interact with the world.”
For parents looking for more ways to encourage creative play, Ruhe and Davis shared three tips:
1. Get basic, open-ended toys that can be used in different ways.
“I think the really important thing is keeping things open ended so kids can ask their own questions and answer those questions,” Ruhe said. She recommends toys that don’t have specific instructions “where (kids) can infuse their own imaginations into it.”
Davis recommends basic building blocks, art supplies or basic Legos, rather than the sets with a specific design.
“Make sure they are age appropriate and allow them to take the next step in discovering what they want to create,” Davis said. “As parents, reinforcing that it doesn’t matter what they build. But, if a child says it’s a house, it’s a house, even though it may not look like a house to you.”
2. Play with your children
“I always say ‘it’s not just for kids,’ ” Davis said. “We find customers coming in and they want blocks for their child so they don’t have to worry about them for an hour. But that’s not how it works. If you buy blocks, get on the floor with your child and play with the blocks. That’s how they explore and really learn about being creative.”
3. Let them lead
While playing with the kids, let them do the playing and don’t direct them, Ruhe suggests.
“Stay back and maybe ask questions about what they’re doing,” Ruhe said. “A lot of times it’s easier to say ‘let me do this real quick,’ but sometimes they have a totally different way of what they think...It’s cool to see what they come up with and see what their interpretations of things are.”
Watching them play at their own pace gives you a peek inside of their head and into their world and what they’re thinking, Ruhe added.
