The Importance of Creative Play

As a Mum to two boys, I am very aware that play time is very important in their development and helps them to learn and be stimulated. I have actively encouraged them to use their imaginations and play creatively from a very young age, giving them toys and allowing them to work out for themselves what to do with them and how to play with them. I always smile when I watch them put on their 'play voices' while they play with their play figures, animals and cars and act out life situations - however close or not to real life reality they choose to play.

In this guest post the author discusses the importance of creative play in children and how it stimulates them from infancy and beyond

Babies and young children spend a great deal of their time playing. It’s through play, both independently and with their parents, that babies learn about the world around them. Play not only aids physical development, but also helps them to form vital social skills and develop their emotional spectrum. Though to us it seems like simple fun, play is in fact a crucial component in a child’s life and will help to form the person they grow up to be. Of course, there are different kinds of play, all of which have different benefits to the child’s development. Creative play, for example, is a great way to nurture their growing sense of self as well as encouraging exploration and understanding of the things that surround them. Creative play helps stimulate the developing imagination and creative thinking that will be invaluable in a child’s later life.

Creative play can be done with all kinds of toys and games so long as there’s flexibility. The best thing to do to encourage creative play in babies and toddlers is simply to let them express themselves as they see fit. If you give a baby a toy like Galt’s Stacking Tower to play with, let them explore it and use it the way they want to, even if that’s not what the original purpose of the toy is. What’s important is that the child be given the opportunity to learn about the toy to their own pace, though parents can provide some guidance if needed if the child becomes frustrated with themselves. Giving the child control over their creativity will help them grow in confidence and self-worth. Play dough, provided that it’s non-toxic and age appropriate, is a great play item that has proven very popular in the past with good reason. The fact that it’s mouldable and comes in a variety of bright colours means that it will stimulate the child’s senses, refine gross and fine motor skills through manipulation of the dough, and provide opportunities for self-expression. Children can make shapes and blend colours and create anything they want with this incredibly versatile, fun and reusable toy.

As the child grows, opportunities for creative play will expand. As their skills develop they will be able to move onto other activities that encourage and stimulate their creative impulses in different ways; drawing, painting, cutting and pasting are all great activities that children love to do. These creative activities, like the play dough, have numerous benefits to a child’s development. By mixing paints, they learn how new colours are made and through drawing and cutting, they will develop an understanding of shapes as well as basic mathematical skills such as sorting and counting. Creative play encourages concentration and focus as the complexity of the activities grow, and children will eventually use this form of play in order to channel their own understanding of the world in a variety of ways, including expressing their fears and worries. Creative play offers an excellent emotional outlet for older children and enriches the development of babies and toddlers.

I have not been given any financial incentive for featuring this guest post.