CreativePlay Plus: Ideas in Play and Child Development

School age kids are all about getting things done. The famous psychologist, Erik Erikson, wrote (famously) that the core of development at this age is the crisis of “industry versus inferiority.”  In other words, children need to feel capable and competent. They need to make things, know things, and master skills. You can plug into this powerful drive when picking out the perfect presents for the kids on your list.

Projects: Children love to have special projects they can create on their own.  For younger children, look for kits that come with instructions. Older and more experienced creators need higher quality materials, and the freedom to follow their creative urges.

• Think about supplies for painting, drawing, candle-making, woodworking, macramé, knitting, assembling electronics, flower arranging, photography, and similar ventures.

Tools for science: Children with a natural curiosity about the world may enjoy a gift that helps them explore and learn about science. For that matter, it’s hard to imagine a child who wouldn’t be curious about nature, given a proper invitation. By invitation, I mean an adult who gets excited about natural things, and gives a child an opportunity to take an interest and learn about the natural world.

• Consider if your child may like a microscope and slides, a telescope, a star map, a gyroscope, binoculars for birding, a starter rock collection, a pick for digging up fossils (or just interesting junk), or a butterfly net.

Lessons: You might have bitter memories of lessons that were forced upon you. But if a child shows urges in an artistic direction, lesions can be joyful and meaningful.

• A child whose feet move with the beat might love dance lessons.

• A child who is always humming tunes may blossom with singing lessons or with a musical instrument.

• The key –and where you have to be a little lucky – is matching the child’s interest with a great teacher.
  • A great teacher doesn’t have to be the best dancer or singer or actor, but he or she does need to have a love for the subject, and a love for children and for helping them grow.

Sports and Athletics: Many children express their drive for growth and accomplishment through sports and athletics. If they’re already into a particular sport, it’s no trick to find new, better equipment for them. If they are not sporty, they might still enjoy an introduction to a new non-competitive activity.

• For the last few months I’ve been giving out 3-lb weights to patients of mine who need an extra nudge to get moving. I tell them they’re for “TV exercises” –a pleasant way to keep moving, build muscles, while mentally vegging out. The kids always seem excited.

You’ll notice that I’m not advocating out and out asking children what they want, but instead making educated guesses based on what you know about their interests and leanings.

If you do ask, most of the boys (and many of the girls) will say that they want the newest video game console or handheld player. I know this, because I’ve asked. And sure, video games aren’t entirely passive, and they do teach children things (some good things and some bad), and they do feed a child’s hunger for competence. But most relate only to a virtual world, drawing a child away from the real one. Things in everyday life become dull and boring, because they can’t compete with the non-stop action (complete with catchy theme music) in the virtual reality. Anyhow, there’s a good chance that some less original Santa will tie a boy around an electronic whiz-box. Let them. You can do better, developmentally speaking.

Around 18-months of age babies start adding words much more quickly — sometimes several in one day. At the same time, they start showing a lot more imagination when they play. They feed their dolls and tuck them into bed. They also become magicians who can transform a wooden block into a car, airplane, telephone, sandwich, or a cup of tea all by pretending!  Symbolic thinking is the great achievement of the toddler years—even more remarkable than walking. Make believe play and language have a strong connection because they both rely on symbols—things that stand for other things.

• Great gifts to help develop language skills and imaginative play abilities: picture books, dolls (for boys as well as girls), plastic animals (make sure these are too big to fit inside a toilet paper  roll, to prevent choking), and best of all simple building blocks that a child’s imagination can turn into anything and everything!

Intentionally not on my list of best toys: electronic talking toys. Why? Because these gizmos are designed to do the work of imagining for the child. Often sold as educational toys, what they really teach children is to expect to be entertained. Young children learn best when they are actively involved in solving problems and creating things. If I could wave my Developmental Santa magic wand and make these developmentally inappropriate toys disappear, I would!

From one to two years of age, children are changing along every dimension. Each developmental change can inspire a “best gift.”  More and more, toddlers are individuals with their own particular joys and wants.

Temperament plays a big role

• Some toddlers love movement and they need toys they can push around, for example, shopping carts, vacuum cleaners, and ride-on-trucks. Other toddlers are content to sit and smell the flowers, like my own favorite children’s book character, Ferdinand the Bull. (If you don’t know Ferdinand, look for The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf.  It’s a treasure).  Little “Ferdinands” need interesting things to play with while sitting in one place.

Strength, Coordination, and Balance

• Push toys, rolling toys, soft balls to kick and throw, a pair of canvas sneakers (Toddlers are always outgrowing their shoes, so don’t waste money on “orthopedic” leather shoes when canvas ones work just as well)

Hand-Eye Coordination

• Peg boards with a toy for hammering or simple puzzles are my top picks. Also, hard to break crayons or non-toxic markers. Toddlers are amazed to find out that when they move one of these objects across a sheet of paper, lines “magically” appear.  Of course, the same amazing effect works on cabinets, tables, and walls so adult supervision is a must!

The holiday season is in full swing, and for many people, this means Christmas shopping for children is at the top of their list. If you have kids on your list this year, there are plenty of ways to make sure they aren’t just overwhelmed by store-bought Christmas gifts, but instead get a chance to receive some great toys for creative play which can be used all year long!

One way to avoid the pressures of the retail world at Christmas is to make your own Christmas gifts for the children on your list. For toddlers, homemade play dough is a sure hit. You can create endless options using food coloring, and storage is simple with the use of disposable storage containers. Just be sure you use the kind with tight lids to keep the dough from drying out too quickly.

Homemade blocks are another great idea for toddlers. Using such simple things as empty milk cartons and paper bags, you can quickly and easily make a full set of alphabet or number blocks — Christmas gifts little ones will be entertained by for hours.

For slightly older children, Christmas gifts like playsilks are a versatile and fun alternative to traditional dress-up costumes. Purchased in basic white, these inexpensive playsilks can be dyed with Kool-Aid (yes, Kool-Aid!) and used in a variety of ways to create endless costume combinations.

Finally, if you spend any amount of time around kids, chances are you’ve built up a supply of crayons, many of which have been worn down to almost nothing. But that doesn’t mean these hard-to-handle nubs can’t be repurposed! In fact, you can use them to make colorful, chunky crayons which are easy to hold, and fun Christmas gifts for children of almost any age.