Photo by Kristin Brown on Unsplash
Playtime isn’t just about having fun. It’s also essential for your child’s development.
But how can parents organise it better and prevent it from descending into unapologetic anarchy?
Well, fortunately, this post is here to help. We present some strategies you can use to help your kids get the most out of their next playtime. Here’s everything you need to know:
Prepare The Space
The first step is to prepare the space. Kids should be able to walk in and start entertaining themselves immediately.
Double check the toys are all age-appropriate, such as Steiff bears for younger children, and Lego sets for older ones.
Also, ensure there aren’t any hazards in the room. You don’t want children requiring emergency first aid in the first five minutes.
Supervise Play
During playtime, you also want to ensure there’s someone there supervising and keeping the peace. Lord of the Flies-style situations can develop rapidly if you’re not careful.
When supervising, try not to micromanage but be ready to step in if you notice a problem. Some playtimes can go off without a hitch, but most of the time there will be tears, particularly if there is more than one child involved. Your job is to work out when a situation is becoming dangerous and step in.
Go Outside
Photo by Giu Vicente on Unsplash
Of course, you don’t have to conduct kids’ playtimes indoors. You can also take them outside. Moving them into the open air can have a profoundly positive impact on children’s well-being and help them let off more steam. (You can always arrange an indoor playdate at another time or later in the evening).
When outside, ensure there are plenty of items to keep your children active. You can organise games or let them get on with it themselves. Where possible, try to keep the experience open-ended. This free-flowing play allows children to be more creative and inventive, teaching them to become masters of how they use their time.
Embrace The Chaos
You might not like the chaos, but embracing it is often essential for kids’ playtime. Children will inevitably make a mess (much to the annoyance of parents), but that’s just a part of the process.
If you really don’t like a mess, start playtime with everyone packed into tubs and boxes. Then, as play continues, pick up items and return them to their rightful locations until your child wants to use them again. Keeping this process up helps you avoid feeling stressed out while enabling your child to continue playing freely.
Turn It Into A Learning Experience
You can also enhance kids’ playtime by turning it into a learning experience. Getting children to play games that involve their minds and developing new skills can supercharge their progress.
This doesn’t mean you should force them to do anything. Instead, you want to turn their activities into a pursuit of some description.
For example, you might get them to place coloured blocks in holes or build a spaceship from Lego. Giving them an aim can help them develop faster.
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