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Archived Newsletters 2010-01-08 CREATIVE PLAY
CREATIVE PLAY - Besides
enjoying themselves children learn through play. It helps to improve
coordination and encourages them to use their imagination
There is tremendous satisfaction in being creative,
whether it is in concocting a successful meal or writing a poem, but to do
this we need confidence in our own judgement. We are more likely to have this
inward reassurance if, as children, we were encouraged to explore and
experiment without undue interference from adults.
Stimulating creativity There are many ways in
which you can stimulate your child's creative and imaginative powers but if you
live in a limited space it is more difficult to ensure that your child has the
freedom he or she needs.
Splashing in the bath
or a paddling pool, floating boats or emptying and filling containers with
water is a good way of giving a small child this freedom.
Another is playing
with sand, either in your own garden or a nearby park.
Painting is another
way of encouraging creativity and a feeling of freedom, even in a confined
space. A three-year old will enjoy splashing bright colours onto large sheets
of paper. Protect his clothes with a smock and your floor with plenty of
newspaper and let him experiment. It may seem dull to you if he covers sheet
after sheet with green blobs but he is learning. When he is ready he will
choose a different colour or try for a different effect, but do not interfere,
the essence of creative play is that it is something that a child does in his
own way, at his own pace. Once he starts trying to please you rather than
himself the creative urge is lost.
Imaginative play The best toys for
encouraging creative play are those which leave room for imagination. Dolls and
cuddly toys can be comforters or a character in a game. Building blocks improve
dexterity and can serve as pretend shopping or be used to create castles and
bridges.
Often the best props
for creative play cost nothing. Cardboard boxes can be transformed by an
imaginative child into a house or a train, similarly a few cast-off clothes for
dressing up can lead to hours of imaginative play. Children often get more fun
and satisfaction from inventing their own toys than from expensive shop-bought
toys, which are often discarded when the novelty wears off.
Taken from The Marshall Cavendish A – Z GUIDE IN WEEKLY PARTS - DOCTOR’S ANSWERS – PART 96, Live better naturally – Creative play. |
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