Have you noticed your children aren't interested in their toys lately?
Are you struggling to inspire them to play?
Don't stress... Try these!
1. Change the way their toys are displayed
Simply change the way your resources are displayed on the shelf or by doing a toy rotation you can spark new interest!
A few examples..
- Instead of having their peg puzzle made on the shelf take the the pieces out of the base and put them in a bowl beside it, They will likely want to complete the puzzle when they see it.
- Put their blocks in a basket rather than in the base tray.
- Keep some toys out of your playspace and rotate them out changing what’s on the shelf every couple of weeks
Toy Rotation is an important part of consistently inspiring new play. Keep resources limited so their play space is not overwhelming. Having toys on an open shelf where they are visible rather than packed away out of sight is also a good idea for creating an inviting space for children to play.
Read the Blog | When & How to Rotate your Playspace
2. Sit down & play with them
You can help to spark their play by giving them new ideas by simply sitting down and playing alongside them with them or nearby.
This will help to share your creativity with them and vice versa!
This can be really helpful for resources your children haven’t shown much interest in recently. They will likely look over and see you playing and want to get involved with what you’re doing.
Don’t underestimate the power of play!
Read the Blog | Playing with your kids & enjoying it!
3. Set out and Invitation to play
By placing a few resources on the floor or on a low table instead of packed away in boxes or on the shelf they are sure to come and investigate and start playing.
Resources can include bought toys and also household items such as a mixing bowl or container and also recycled items like a paper towel roll or box.
When creating an invitation to play remeber these tips:
- Observe your child’s interests and extend on them
- Keep it simple
- Leave room for your child’s imagination
- Put resources in view at child’s level
See below for a few examples:
Scroll down for the link to the blog with even more ideas for different ages and siblings!
Counting and number flashcards with number dots for older siblings and animal sounds flashcards for younger sibling to match with farm animals.
Connetix Tiles invitation to build.
Egg carton painted with metal rimmed counting chips to post and colour sort
Connetix Tiles with Grapat rings for colour sorting.
Read the Blog | Creating an Invitation to Play