Play Unplugged by Vicki Hall
Hi and hello! I'm Vicki, a mum of three girls who I home educate and we are a nature loving, outdoorsy family who love everything playful.
We want to share with you ways to enhance children's play through hands on experiences, open-ended resources and ideas on how best to do this, whether inside or out. Using some of our favourite tickit resources, you can gain lots of inspiration.
Outdoor play
The important thing to remember about an outdoor play space is that kids want to be able to get mucky and have fun!
Our outdoor space also known as "back garden" 😂, is filled with lovely inviting areas for play. Our stand-out table which is perfect for so many ways to play, is the tickit Discovery Quadrant Trays & Stand. We have filled it with coloured water, foam, sand, nature treasures and there is a whole lot more you could do with it too.
Enhancing your garden can be easy and there are lots of ways to make the fun accessible all the time. I have 3 girls who can simply spend lots of time just pouring water from pot to pan and playing restaurants with questionable recipes.
Have you seen the New tickit colourful jugs, sieves and scoops? Perfect for sand and water. Here's a few ways we have used ours:
Mud Kitchen
Mud kitchens are always a firm favourite for children and toddlers. They offer so much play and learning opportunities, but if you don't have one, don't panic because you don't actually need a proper mud kitchen. You can even use the Discovery Quadrant Trays & Stand as a makeshift one. Fill two sections with mud or soil and even add in some leaves and sticks; then add water to the other two sections. Offer some pots and pans and even the NEW Rainbow Silicone Utensils for lots of imaginative play opportunities.
Other things you can use:
- Flowers
- Sand
- Shells
- Citrus peels
- Pine cones
- Rocks / pebbles
- tickit Gem Circles and Cubes (perfect for pretend "ingredients")
The best part is there's no pressure for there to be an end product. The process is the play and children can get messy, experiment and simply enjoy being outdoors.
Another thing we often forget to do is to bring their inside toys, outside. Whilst they love their blocks indoors, using them outside on grass or on the bench will give them brand new experiences with the same toy. The grass or a bench will bring new challenges, new ways to learn and play; the best thing you can do; allowing the toys to follow the child.
The key to play is to keep it open ended.
So...
What is open ended play?
It is simply giving the children the freedom, space, and time to play without any given instructions, directions, or implications. To allow a child to create and imagine freely, by themselves. The best way for this to happen is to ensure children have access to materials, toys and resources that aren't limiting their opportunities.
Think storytelling, role-playing, building and creating. Fantastic ways children can really connect with their own capabilities and enhance their skills.
So also think loose parts, blocks, natural treasures, playdough, sand, water, art materials and simple, versatile resources that can be used in lots of different ways.
Here are a few examples of inspiration for you to look at:
What about sensory play?
Many children love sensory input and getting hands messy. However, some children prefer to keep mess to a minimum. Whichever preferences your child has, sensory play can meet their needs. It doesn't always need to be rice, sand or playdough. Children can get sensory input from tactile resources, toys with sound and materials that reflect light or have weight to them. A light panel is a great way for children to explore sensory play without the mess. Add some translucent resources from the tickit website and explore the magic of light and colour.
How can we help our children's play?
There's no right or wrong way to help your child's play. Playing is innate in children. It's their work. It is what their brains are designed for. The best thing we can do is to create playful spaces, playful homes and give them time to access it. Let's try to rush less, be more present in the moment and encourage resilience, problem solving and creativity. We can do this by using carefully selected toys and resources which support children to develop confidence through their own ideas and discoveries.
And before I go...
My top 5 tickit picks:
• Translucent Colour Nesting Sieves
• Discovery Quadrant Trays & Stand
I hope this has been insightful and has given you some inspiration on ways to enhance play. Remember to use the hash tag #tickitplay so we can see your fun!
Many thanks,
Vicki
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Find out more about Vicki and her inspiring home education and learning through play ideas here.