Four top tips for encouraging and enjoying constructive play
Four top tips for encouraging and enjoying constructive play
Our customer success manager, Nikki Walsh, recently shared her four top tips for encouraging and enjoying constructive play. If you missed the original article in Lemon-Aid, you can catch up below…
Stacking, moulding, assembling and dismantling — that’s what constructive play is all about.
For many families, you’ll most likely be doing this already without really focusing too much on what it’s called.
And that’s because constructive play is meant to be exciting and challenging in equal measure. It’s a fantastic way for parents and children to explore different items around the home — especially during lockdown.
It can build confidence in your youngster, inspire problem-solving qualities, and ignite their curiosity. For busy parents too, it doesn’t need a lot of preparation — whether the challenge is creating a blanket fort, digging dams in your local woods, or building a block tower.
Constructive play can be done as a family or encourage independent play to build up your child’s self-esteem, alongside improving their fine motor skills and teaching them all about different shapes and sizes.
Here are some tips to get started…
- Gather a range of items
Whether cereal boxes, toilet rolls or tissue paper — encourage your youngster to find equipment that they can build from or take apart if it’s something that was heading for the recycle bin.
- Think versatility
Can your items be used inside and outside the house? Great! When it gets a little warmer, use resources that encourage outdoor play — such as sticks, water and sand — to get you and your child enjoying some fresh air.
- Make tasks achievable
If your challenge is to create or dismantle something and transform it into a castle, bridge or car, help with tricky parts — such as gluing and holding materials in place. Making realistic goals helps your child to plan ahead, imagine the final result and select the correct shapes and sizes for the task.
- Use encouraging language — and step back!
If you think your youngster is ready for more independent play, explain a fun task to them and give them space. Check in to provide positive feedback and assist when they ask. Enjoy the process and support only where you need to! Happy playing!
Better parent partnerships
Boost parental engagement with our ParentZone app. Parents can access information about their child’s day at a time that suits them best. ParentZone increases partnership with parents by allowing two way communication between parents and your nursery.
