I recently was at the local Aquarium in the kids area, and I saw these lovely info bubbles for caregivers. I was so thrilled to see them I thought they were just wonderful. Each one of them hold such useful information how how to allow children to learn.
Allowing children to play and pretend how they see fit is a wonderful developmental stage. It allows them to let their mind wander and imagine. It allows them to go to another world where they get to make choices about how things are run. Watching a child emersed in pretend play can tell you so much about that child. At times it can tell you about there interactions with other and how they feel. Pretend Play can be a great way for children to work out things that are bothering them. Sometimes it can just be for fun, and they just want to play.It is very important to allow child to pretend and be unobstructed in their play. They need to play freely. They need to allow their imaginations flow. Allowing a child to explore creativity, can really help them in the future. Creativity can really help breed success in so many areas of life, the opportunities become almost endless if you can just use a little creativity.
The benefits to letting a child just play are amazing. It can teach them how to entertain themselves. It really can cut down on the "I'm bored, do something with me" whine. Give them the tools for development It doesn't have to be the latest, neatest stuff. Just simple costumes, sheets, even just a cardboard box. Encourage pretend play and creativity. When your child come to you telling you about their imaginary world take a chance to be in the moment with your child. Play with them, but be careful you don't take over. Be an accessory to their play not the instructor. Ask them questions and engage the play. I know it can be tedious but you'll still have dishes to do when they are grown and out of the house. They wont be small forever.
I really enjoyed this post, especially with my kids having just gone back to school this week. It's so very true that education in this country to so scheduled and rigid in many ways that children often don't get the chance to explore new topics on their own and develop their own thoughts and ideas about it. Thanks you for this post.
ReplyDeleteI remember being bored as a child, but I remember happily occupying myself when that happened...or going out to find friends to play with. Today that's not always the case (with kids, I think many times because they are over-reliant on technology). I love that you're encouraging us to enjoy the little ones when they're little. Everyone SAYS that, but I've got two grown, one teen, and one toddler...so I just KNOW that what you are saying is true. These precious years are gone in a flash.
ReplyDeleteWow, I love how places are actually encouraging adults to interact with kids instead of just keeping an eye on them! It's refreshing! Encouraging children's creativity instead of stilting it will hopefully help them grow up believing they can do anything and are appreciated for it.
ReplyDeleteVery cool that they had these prompts for adults. I always had problems with pretend play as a kid - dolls bored me. Hope I can fix that with my kids...
ReplyDeleteSlow summer days are such fun aren't they? Love the tips about pretend play. All four of my girls spent the majority of their childhood doing imagination play.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good post! We do overschedule in our society today... and our kids are just kind of taken along with us from event to event. We all need to just slow down and let them be children... to let them lead instead of us always doing the leading.
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