Violins play soaring melodies.
Sparkly ballerinas twirl in their tutus.
Cymbals crash.
Encore, encore!
Your child has taken their final bow. They led the full orchestra in a thrilling rendition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Now, it’s time to embark on a new journey.
You wonder… What’s next in the world of play? What’s your little one thinking about?
Maybe it’ll be that famous ballet performed “Again, Again!” Or perhaps it’s time to head to the kitchen to fix dinner as a master chef.
Whatever’s next on the creative play menu, it’s sure to spark joy and a genuine interest in learning.
What Exactly Is Creative Play?
In today’s world, there are so many terms floating around that describe different types of play. Free play, make-believe, open play, independent play… the list goes on.
But let’s simplify.
Creative play is play that uses one’s imagination. It’s defined as, “children's play (as modeling or painting) that tends to satisfy the need for self-expression as well as to develop manual skills.”1
Creative play pulls on the child’s imagination as being the main focus of this type of play. It can involve tools, toys, and crafts or just the little one’s budding imagination. This may look like acting out their own play or singing a unique melody.
Children are thirsty to express themselves, even before they learn their first words. They’re eager to show you and the world who they are and what they are thinking. The development of fine and gross motor skills is one part of creative play. Combine these and you’ve got a successful recipe for stimulation, fun, and education.
We can offer our kids all these things wrapped up in one big idea: Creative Play.
What’s the Difference Between Creative Play and Fantasy or Pretend Play?
Halloween.
That’s an easy way of thinking about the answer to this question. Think of all the characters that kids dress up as. Superheroes, Disney princesses, storybook characters… you name it.
These are fantasies.
Now, we’re not here to crush anyone’s dreams or tell them that fairies aren’t real. We’re just talking about the definitions.
Creative play comes from a child’s imagination. It has some basis in the real world that surrounds them – real-life scenarios through play.
Fantasy or pretend play is based on ideas or scenarios that are not typically based in reality. These fantasies are not the child’s own imaginative creation.
While there’s no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to play, the benefits of creative play are clear. Children can further develop critical and creative thinking skills when given the space to create their own ideas through play.
What Are Some Examples of Creative Play?
Creative play can come in all shapes and sizes, like kids. There’s no “1 perfect example” of creative play. But here are a few of our favorites.
Outdoor Creative Play examples:
- Become a Birder – Go on a hunt to find different types of birds.
- Teepee time – Making a teepee out of fallen tree limbs is half the fun. Next, climb inside!
- Puppet show – Grab some old socks. Use markers for faces. Perform for friends and family in the great outdoors.
- Painting – There’s nothing better than taking the easel outside. If you don’t have one, no problem. Painting can happen on the ground, on a rock, etc.
- Rock on – Take a rock collection one step further: see how many words you can make by lining up rocks.
- Stump speech – Hop up on any old tree stump and give the speech of your life.
Angela Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist and author of Balanced and Barefoot. She recommends that children have 3 hours of outside play every day.2 She emphasizes the importance of free play, which also has tremendous benefits for children’s creative development and can often be intertwined with creative play.
We know that this isn’t always possible. Busy schedules and different climates may not let you have a daily nature romp. When that’s the case, there are plenty of indoor creative play ideas to keep kids engaged and learning. Here are a few.
Indoor Creative Play examples:
- Fort fun – Build a fort out of couch cushions, kitchen chairs, and bedsheets.
- Music – Explore a musical instrument.
- Call the doctor – Play “Doctor” and give siblings or parents a check-up.
- Delicious dirt – Use sticks, dirt, and a bucket to stir a yummy mud pie.
- Broadway-bound – Act in a play or create any theatrical performance.
- Future chef – Use real-size or play items to whip up something in the kitchen.
- Library love – Line up dolls and do a storytime read-aloud.
The options are endless. Sometimes it’s fun to prepare activities and materials and offer an invitation to play. Other times, a child might come up with his or her own creative play using their imagination.
Does the Montessori Method Include Creative Play?
Yes.
“Play is the work of the child.”3 ~ Maria Montessori.
There’s sometimes a bit of confusion between the definitions of work and play, so we’ll try to simplify again. The work that happens in Montessori classrooms is grounded in real life. This, to children, is their play.
Children LOVE to take part in activities that they witness in daily life. Cooking, washing dishes with a colorful sponge, putting mail in the mailbox. Invite them into these practical, real-life adventures. Through this connection to reality, Montessori and creative play can become intertwined.
In Maria Montessori’s teachings, she did not discourage creative play or the use of one’s imagination. She did notice that children preferred tasks based on reality, over toys or fantasy. We can support a child’s development through creative play by following her lead.
Observe.
Watch what your child does during their adventures. See what they create while interacting naturally in the world around them. They’re our teachers, after all.
How Can I Encourage Creative Play at Home?
Like your little one did when they were learning to walk… take baby steps.
Let’s start with what NOT to do:
- Your child does not have to do
creative play all day, every day.
- You do not need to buy tons of new items or toys or manuals.
- You do not need to sign your child up for a thousand creative play classes. You can, of course. But not necessary.
- You do not need to compare your child’s creative play to anyone else’s. That’s the beauty of imagination – everyone is different and unique.
Now for what TO DO to encourage creative play:
- Breathe. Don’t forget to breathe.
- Slow down. Life can go at warp speed. Jobs, school, appointments. We can forget to “be.” Turn the phones to airplane mode. Sit on the floor with your child, and let them experiment and get lost in creative play.
- Get bored. Start getting comfortable with boredom. Sometimes multitasking is unavoidable. But not when you’re fostering a creative play environment. Boredom leaves a child with no other choice than to create their own play. We just have to let them.
- Go out. We’ve already tackled some ideas for outdoor creative play, but this is a good reminder to head out on an adventure. Sometimes the best way to spur on creativity is to step foot into nature, enjoy an exploratory romp, and see what light bulbs go on.
- Get messy. Roll up your sleeves and watch your child develop those motor skills. It can be helpful to set boundaries and model how to use materials before starting a project. Remember, clean-up time will come. And that’s a whole other skill set for kids to experience.
- Less is More. Kids thrive with fewer toys. It encourages more space to create and less space for clutter. To start, find some toys that you may want to donate to a church or charity. Or get a few bins and store away play items. This makes space for creative play that supports your child’s development.
Adventure All Day…
Ready for a creative play adventure, but not sure what to wear? We’ve got you covered. Head on over to our shop to pick out your favorite adventure wear for you and your family.
Sleep All Night.
And snag a pair of cozy pajamas to reward yourself for all the creative adventures you had. Sleep tight!
References
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. “Creative Play.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creative%20play, Accessed 18 March 2022.
- Hanscom, Angela and Meryl Davids Landau. “Kids Should Play Outside 3 (!) Hours Every Day, This Expert Says. Here’s Why — And How To Do It” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kids-should-play-outside-3-hours-every-day-this_b_5909fde6e4b03b105b44be2e, Accessed 19 March 2022.
- Child Development Institute. “Play is the Work of the Child.” Maria Montessori. https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/play-work-of-children/#gs.u0oe4f, Accessed 20 March 2022.