Play is a sanctuary of safety. Play is also the original school, far more effective than anything society could possibly invent…in true play the engagement is in the activity, not the outcome.
Gordon Neufeld
Play is essential to childhood and learning, but to be honest there’s not always a lot of playing at the Henderson house. We made sure the girls went to a preschool where play is a centerpiece in the day (shoutout to The Overfield School), and the girls play a lot at their grandparents’ houses. But, we don’t spend a lot of time at home. Until now.
Because of this extreme change, we’ve had to reevaluate and reflect on the way play happens in our home. Screaming, crying, and door slamming still occur…we’re just trying to lessen those things! Through trial and error and reflection, we’ve come up with some points on play to help us stay sane while we try to get our work done with kids who have been together way toooo long now:
1. Change the scenery
When you’ve been stuck in the same area for a while, things get boring pretty quickly. Also, I noticed as SOON as I cleaned up an area or rearranged a space, the girls were immediately in that space wrecking what I had already done. So why not use this to my advantage?
A quick rearranging has resulted in much longer play in areas. The novelty of a “new space” lasts much longer than just yelling at them to go to the playroom or the backyard.
Some ways to do this:
- Move the play kitchen to a different room for the day
- Push the couches together
- Scoot the kitchen table into the living room (this created two new spaces, a dance floor in the kitchen and a fort in the living room)
- Move toys to the kitchen table before they wake up in the morning (Barbie was ready for a breakfast tea party)
- Laundry baskets or car seats as “movie theater seating”
Essentially any novelty results in longer play. The brain likes it.
2. Get back to the basics
Are you having groceries or other items delivered now? Save the cardboard boxes. Don’t throw away the lids from your OJ or kombucha bottles. Leftover party supplies from a past birthday? Get out the paper cups. Break out the Play-doh or create some of your own.
Our kids have spent the most time playing with the basics. They spent almost 30 minutes rolling out Play-doh with the rolling pin and using lids of varying sizes to make “cookies” and “pepperoni pizzas.”
After watching one of the LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems! videos, they made puppets out of toilet paper rolls. (Speaking of, we haven’t bought an since this started…and we still haven’t run out.)
Eleanor was supposed to make a tower with paper cups and cardboard, but she ended up making a cardboard “TV” and remote.
Basic toys encourage problem solving, creativity, and motor skills that the battery powered toys just don’t deliver on.
3. Turn a task on its head
This is a note we took directly from the girls. One of the days where Dwayne and I both had to work all morning and couldn’t give a lot of attention to the girls we were given tickets that said “Dine Out Not in” Henderson Party of 2. When it was time for lunch, we came out back to a picnic blanket and sandwiches. PB&J for Eleanor and me. Turkey and cheese for Harp and Dwayne. They had even written love notes in Sharpie on the bags for each of us. This was a win-win situation. They had spent time playing to set it all up and had taken care of a task for us yes.
4. Face time for real
We’ve had A LOT of FaceTime calls with family members lately, but kids need face-to-face play time with the adults in the house, too. The good news for parents who are trying to get work done is that it doesn’t have to last long. Modeling fun, imaginative play, which in our house a lot of time includes Barbie dolls doing crazy things or play kitchens cooking up new foods, is beneficial for kids learning to play independently. It also helps them continue the play on their own. Wrap up the play with a hug or kiss and a “Thanks for playing with me.” This helps end on a positive note, and you can go get some work done while they’re still wrapped up in the play.
And when all this fails, give them iPad time 🙂
Love and Literacy 