How to Encourage Creative Play with the Right Toys
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Toys can accumulate so quickly in the family home. Too many toys can lead to less space, over spending, and frustration among parents as well as children.
Just recently we have decided to eliminate toys that will be only played once or twice and then forgotten about. Now we are working on limiting toys to those which encourage creativity.
When it comes to the best toys to encourage creativity there is a huge selection to choose from. This can help relieve some of the guilt from eliminating useless toys.
Toys that encourage creativity are often the simplest. These toys allow children to engage in open-ended play, use their imagination, and coordination which are all important for development.
In our own home, the following toys are our favorites.
1. Building blocks. Our boys enjoy playing with both mega blocks and wooden blocks. They build fences for farm animals, car garages and houses.
2. Animal figurines. Most popular in our home are bugs, dinosaurs, and farm animals.
3. Balls. Any ball that encourages physical movements such as catching, throwing, and kicking are winners.
4. Crafts. This can include anything from gluing, painting, sticker fun, etc. One of our favorites is cutting pieces of colored paper and gluing them on paper to create objects such as butterflies and fish.
5. Puzzles. Start out simple and increase pieces as your child masters them. These can also be done as a family and is a great chance to connect with your children.
6. Cars. Stick with good quality cars that will last more than a day or two. Hot Wheels and Matchbox are more expensive to buy however they will cost less than buying plastic cars every second day.
7. Play food and kitchen utensils. We don't have any large play kitchen appliances. Our boys have a small assortment of play food, dishes, and cooking utensils that seem to keep them happy.
8. Colored pencils, markers, or crayons with paper. Allow your children total freedom to draw whatever they want even if its just scribbles. It is interesting to see the combination of colors they use.
9. Play dough. We tend to do this activity as a family. It gives us a chance to encourage creativity and imagination. It also helps us to keep the play dough from being tracked around the rest of the home.
10. Books. Our boys enjoy everything from story books to picture textbooks including human anatomy, science, and world maps.
What are some of your favorite toys to encourage creativity in your children?
Just recently we have decided to eliminate toys that will be only played once or twice and then forgotten about. Now we are working on limiting toys to those which encourage creativity.
When it comes to the best toys to encourage creativity there is a huge selection to choose from. This can help relieve some of the guilt from eliminating useless toys.
Toys that encourage creativity are often the simplest. These toys allow children to engage in open-ended play, use their imagination, and coordination which are all important for development.
In our own home, the following toys are our favorites.
1. Building blocks. Our boys enjoy playing with both mega blocks and wooden blocks. They build fences for farm animals, car garages and houses.
2. Animal figurines. Most popular in our home are bugs, dinosaurs, and farm animals.
3. Balls. Any ball that encourages physical movements such as catching, throwing, and kicking are winners.
4. Crafts. This can include anything from gluing, painting, sticker fun, etc. One of our favorites is cutting pieces of colored paper and gluing them on paper to create objects such as butterflies and fish.
5. Puzzles. Start out simple and increase pieces as your child masters them. These can also be done as a family and is a great chance to connect with your children.
7. Play food and kitchen utensils. We don't have any large play kitchen appliances. Our boys have a small assortment of play food, dishes, and cooking utensils that seem to keep them happy.
8. Colored pencils, markers, or crayons with paper. Allow your children total freedom to draw whatever they want even if its just scribbles. It is interesting to see the combination of colors they use.
9. Play dough. We tend to do this activity as a family. It gives us a chance to encourage creativity and imagination. It also helps us to keep the play dough from being tracked around the rest of the home.
10. Books. Our boys enjoy everything from story books to picture textbooks including human anatomy, science, and world maps.
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