Three Simple Ways to Keep Play Exciting
One of the questions I get frequently from parents and educators I work with is: how do we keep the children engaged in play? There are lots of seemingly simple answers: new toys, new materials, flashing lights, bright colors—to all of which I say, no! In this post we explore three simple ways to keep play exciting. These are possible in any space and accessible to any budget and, of course, are open to modifications.
Principle 1: Switch it up!
Everyone gets bored of the same old thing, day in and day out. And while you may not have closets full of toys at home, a new surface, a few new toys, or a new location can go a long way toward making an old toy or familiar material new and exciting again. It can also challenge your child to find an innovative use for something in which they’ve found themselves in an imaginative rut.
Try bringing some of your child’s favorite materials into the kitchen, on your back porch, under the table, or into a hallway. You’d be surprised at the possibilities that arise in a new space and at the change of perspective it affords.
In Practice:
In my classroom, we rotate in a variety of jewels, dominos, fabrics, etc. into our dramatic play and building areas in order to provoke new ways of thinking about and using these pieces.
At home you might integrate bottle caps into the building or art materials your child uses. What about old wine corks?
Have you considered taking activities and toys such as painting, blocks, dolls, cars, etc. outside? This can give children a chance to imagine all sorts of new things and move their bodies in new ways with the materials.
Have you ever tried building with blocks underneath a coffee table or dining room table? It’s fun. Try it.
What would happen if you put a butter knife, spoon, cookie cutters, and paper clips alongside your next batch of playdough?
Principle 2: Create a Space and Make it ‘Special’
Make a special place for your child to play. A playroom, of course, is awesome! But, for something a bit more intentional, a smaller space with fewer materials in a place in the house that allows for focus might be better.
Yes, it’s true, it’s true—things can get messy and toys can end up everywhere. However, if you give your child a place where they can explore, you won’t have to feel guilty about the inevitable nos—and you’ll give them a chance to practice patience, respect, and to be creative within constraints.
What this might look like:
A cookie sheet or baking pan in which you have a few particular toys to explore (perhaps like this).
What do you think of using towel or small rag rug (or even a section of the floor bounded by masking tape!) with a few favorite and a few new toys to explore?
What might your child do with a few exciting materials and a “special” space to use them?
Also, remember, “These toys stay on the toy rug,” is easier (and less frustrating) to keep saying than is “Nope, not on the counter. Nope, not in the living room. Nope, not in the…”
Principle 3: Set up the scenario for independence and investigation.
Give your child the space to explore, get messy, and make mistakes—along with the tools to clean, correct, and learn. Also set the stage for investigation--you may not have to say exactly what the point of a particular activity it--the children will get there. Or, they will show you what the real point it. Keeping an eye and ear out both allow you to know what your child knows, and, in turn, to know where to encourage them to go further. We’ll use sensory play as an example.
For independence in sensory play:
Dress your child in clothes that can get messy and dirty, even ones they can easily take off themselves. And give them the tools to do their own cleaning.
Can something (water, perhaps) spill? Place a towel nearby and encourage them to use it to mop up water. Did something (sand? beans?) fall on the floor? Give them a little broom and dustpan and help them sweep it up.
For investigation: Invite, don't force.
A bin of water, containers of varying sizes and colors, a few figurines, a Ziploc bag or two, and a rudimentary scale all invite measuring. You don’t have to tell your child what to do. They’ll try their hands at scooping, comparing, weighing, etc. if you provide the space, a few vocabulary words, and a watchful eye.
The beauty of an exploration that invites is that it allows you to see where your child is, and to help them move further in their conceptual understanding, wherever it may be. (For example, while washing toys and rocks you may talk about size with one child, size and weight with another, and begin to wonder why a smaller rock weighs more than a big toy with the next.)