Creative games: Why is it important for children?

Is it important to stimulate and develop the creative side of our children?

Throughout history, toys have always been an object of creativity. The brightest feature of childhood was and will always remain the opportunity for children to create their own world and dream, to learn thanks to their limitless imagination. Children with the help of toys create their own personal legends.

THE 7 BENEFITS OF CREATIVE GAMES

• Exploration of the imagination
• Sensory development
• Hand-eye coordination
• Concentration and attention
• Individual confidence
• Improved social life
• Understanding of different environments

(photo credit: @canva creative games)

WHAT IS A CREATIVE LEISURE GAME?

A creative hobby game is an activity that combines elements of different hobbies into a single game.Creative play is one of the most important types of creative activity for young children.It is expressed when children use familiar materials in new or unusual ways, and when children engage in role-play and imaginative play. It is an experience and an essential step in its development.

WHY IS IMAGINATION SO IMPORTANT TO A CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT?

Albert Einstein said “Imagination is more important than knowledge”

Imagination is the door to possibilities. This is where creativity, ingenuity and outside-the-box thinking begin in child development. Creative and imaginative play are the ways children learn about the world.

During imaginative play, children manipulate materials, express themselves verbally, plan (intentionally or unintentionally), act, interact, react, and try out multiple roles.

Many opportunities to learn are possible when children participate in games and activities with dolls, vehicles, blocks, stones, cardboard, puzzles or a simple toy. Being creative by manipulating playdough, creating recipes by mixing dirt and water, working with art materials, splashing in puddles can promote child development. 'child. It is essential to let him have his own experiences.

We all want to raise children who reach their highest intellectual, social and emotional potential. In early childhood education, critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills are developmental goals for children. Imagining, trying new ways of doing things and experimenting help develop children's critical thinking skills and promote creative problem solving and learning.

In addition, imagination promotes social-emotional development by allowing children to consider different resolutions, which builds their self-confidence, which can be used in interactions with others. Creativity is also a skill that our children will need when they join the workforce of tomorrow.

(photo credit: @canva childhood)

Here are some ideas for creative, imaginative and pretend play that you can use to stimulate creativity and problem solving in children of all ages:

✔ Scenario creation

Help children to come up with ideas for role play by suggesting situations that might interest them. Play at home, astronaut, doctor, school, store, restaurant, superhero, veterinarian or any other character you can think of. Ask children to role-play a scenario they recently encountered or relieve anxiety about an upcoming appointment by role-playing. This will allow them to learn to manage certain emotions as well. Role play is fun and enjoyable for the whole family, children and adults alike.

Costumes are an important element in creating scenarios whether for special occasions or not. Find a wide range of children's costumes At Mamie Gigi, a reference boutique for princess dresses and disguises.

(photo credit: @canva creativity imagination)

✔ Have fun with blocks and wooden construction game

Children of all ages can benefit from playing with wooden construction toys for example. Whether a toddler or elementary school student, building blocks encourage creativity, logical thinking and motor skills. Children will work on their imagination by drawing plans for complicated models or building an improvised structure. Prompt and help them subtly and they will surprise you.

(photo credit: @canva construction game)

✔ Host indoor Olympics

Rainy day? Do not despair ! Incorporate some physical activity into imaginative play by organizing indoor Olympics. Participate in various events like speed skating with tissue boxes or javelin throwing with straws. You can even make cardboard medals to hand out and dress up to have a pretend opening and closing ceremony. This activity is especially fun during the Olympics because kids love to recreate the real world. There are always activities or an idea to have a good time with the family in creative ways.

✔ Transform a cardboard box

A large cardboard box is one of the best free resources for creative time and new experiences. With scissors, markers, and tape, your child can turn a box into almost anything. Kids can pretend their box is a car, a house, a rocket, or anything else they can imagine. They can even flatten and decorate a box to pretend they are stranded on a desert island. You have to help him get started and then the magic will work. Take the opportunity to teach them respect for the environment.

(photo credit: @canva imagination creativity)

✔ Establish a reading routine

Read every day to encourage your child to imagine the characters and situations in storybooks. By reading daily, you will promote literacy while stimulating imagination. Your child will pleasure learning by listening to you tell him a story. It is a very pleasant moment for your child as well as for the adults.

(photo credit: @canva)

✔ Encourage artistic projects

Visit art museums and do art projects at home to encourage gentle learning. Explore all kinds of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, jewelry, collage, and textiles. Give children the freedom to explore colors, textures, media and new ideas.
Ask questions: Ask your children interesting, hypothetical questions to get them thinking. Ask questions like “what would you do if." to encourage discussion and development of the imagination.

(The Magic Paint: water drawing mat available on the l'enfant malin educational games store, click on the photo to discover)

(photo credit: Boutique L’Enfant Malin)

Also see our article on brain games: Why do puzzles?.

SUPPORT CREATIVITY WITH TOYS

While following instructions is an important skill to learn, encouraging children to deviate from instructions can promote creativity in using toys. Allowing children to mix and match pieces from different games encourages them to make creations from their imagination. creative games are excellent ways to encourage and stimulate them.

(photo credit: @canva wooden construction game)

PROVIDE DOWN TIME

Remember, you don't need to plan or orchestrate every hour of your child's day. Allow plenty of unstructured creative play time so he can come up with his own ideas. Limit screen time and allow for boredom times, as this is when children will use objects and their creative skills to find something to do. With, of course, an adult supervisor.

PLAY OUTDOOR

Spend lots of time in nature. Observe ever-changing weather patterns and seasons. Look at the clouds and look for interesting shapes. Without helping them, let the children play in the sand, dirt and water. Collect twigs, leaves and stones and build forts, sandcastles and more. What better experience to develop intelligence and knowledge about the environment. Activities without toys are also essential. A subject very well covered in this article "playing outside is just as important in winter"

(photo credit: @canva)

USE CREATIVE GAMES TO TARGET DEVELOPMENT GOALS AT SPECIFIC AGES

✔ From 0 to 2 years

Babies and young children like to imitate the people who take care of them and those around them. From the age of 2, they begin to represent real-life scenarios through play. Giving the baby a variety of toys with different functions can help encourage symbolic play. As toddlers begin to reflect structure in their play, encourage them by providing creative scenario possibilities.

✔ From 3 to 4 years

At this stage, children begin to engage in more complex play scenarios. They learn more to differentiate fact from fiction, to express their feelings and to cooperate with others. Provide children with a range of toys they can choose from, including open-ended objects like cardboard boxes or fabric to make costumes.

✔ School-age children

At this stage, children are old enough to take the initiative in creativity  and imagination games. Encourage them to work together to put on a play, act out books, or write stories. Multiple children can also work together to put on an improv show or create a story, strengthening their problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills. Then, ask them to share their stories or perform their plays in front of their classmates or parents.

(photo credit: @canva)

Nowadays, children spend so much time in front of screens like TV, tablets, phones but very little time outside. You will agree that society has definitely changed since your childhood, but some things remain the same – outdoor play and creative play are still very important for our children. The best way to inspire our children to dream big, and imagine themselves doing big things, is to provide them with opportunities that could foster critical thinking and creative ability. Any new experience can play a role in its own way.

Do you give your children enough time to play and imagine? Or do they spend several hours at school, followed by endless screen time? If, as a parent, you think that giving your children too much free time is a mistake and you prefer to enroll them in countless classes and activities, remember that free time to play and dream is part of a happy childhood.