The Basics of Creative Play

Let’s take a moment to trip back to our childhoods – to a time of imagination, creativity, and playful freedom. Embracing the spirit of play isn’t simply about having fun, it’s about adopting a mindset that opens the door to a whole wide world of opportunities for learning and growth.

It’s a process that begins with choosing to make everyday activities playful and adopting a more explorative perspective on life…

Remember the joy of an afternoon of childhood play? Constructing epic blanket forts with friends, playing house, or putting the last brick on an incredible building block castle? As adults, these memories may seem like distant echoes of a time when imagination ruled, and everyday life was a playground for exploration. But the possibility of recapturing its spirit exists. And reconnecting with these memories is a doorway to a host of opportunities for learning, growth, and joy.

The beauty of play is that it is universal, transcending cultural, societal, and age boundaries. Play researcher Dr. Stuart Brown refers to it as a biological necessity that not only shapes our brains but also forms the foundation of human creativity and innovation (Brown, 2009). The challenge lies in fostering an environment conducive to play and ensuring its integration into everyday activities.

But why is it so important to embrace our sense of play again? Sir Ken Robinson, an expert in creative play puts it this way; “Creativity is as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status” (Robinson, 2006). It’s as true for parents and educators as it is children: Play and playful thinking lay the groundwork for nurturing flexible thinking, problem-solving abilities, and encouraging risk-taking.

Embracing the spirit of play requires a shift in mindset. It means viewing every interaction and activity as an opportunity for play and exploration. It involves looking beyond structured schedules and predetermined outcomes to tap into the natural curiosity and joyfulness that play brings.

As Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop’s SVP suggests, “Children learn best through play because they are actively engaged in joyful and meaningful activities”. Yet the benefits of this play mindset are not restricted to children alone. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist renowned for his work on ‘flow,’ when adults engage in play, they can reach a state of complete absorption, where time seems to fly, and productivity and satisfaction are heightened (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

As grown-ups, it can be easy to forget how to play in the maze of responsibilities, tasks, and goals. So how do begin to redevelop our play skills as adults? By watching our kids, or, better yet, joining them! Here are a few ways you can reconnect with play while connecting with your littles…

As parents and educators, sharing your passions with kids can serve as a bridge to the world of play. Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, recommends identifying your “play personality” as a first step. You might be a storyteller, an explorer, an artist, a jokester, or a kinesthete, among others (Brown, 2009). Understanding your play personality can help guide you in sharing your interests with children, fostering mutual enjoyment and connection.

Sometimes, our own childhood favorites can serve as inspiration. Remember the games that would make you lose track of time, the stories that fueled your imagination, or the hobbies that brought you joy? Reintroducing these activities not only reignites your own connection with play, but also offers a shared playing field with children.

As renowned Psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, suggest, novelty and challenge are two essential components for intrinsic motivation (Ryan R. M., Deci E. L., 2017). Trying something new with your kids can prove to be an exhilarating, learning-filled, memorable shared experience.

In the rush of our fast-paced lives, we often underestimate the power of boredom and downtime. So often, it’s these quiet moments that help creativity take flight. By embracing pauses, we teach children (and remind ourselves of) the art of self-regulation and the joy of making fun from nothing.

Making play a priority means integrating it into daily routines and activities. This does not mean adding ‘playtime’ as another item on the to-do list, but rather, infusing playfulness into existing routines – turning chores into games, stories into theatrical performances, and walks into adventures.

Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to play is our own overthinking and need for control. Letting go of preconceived notions of what play should look like or what outcomes it should produce allows us to embrace play in its most authentic, spontaneous form.

As we seek to embrace the spirit of play as a family, it’s important to remember to meet children where they are. This involves both physically and figuratively getting down to their level, immersing ourselves in their world of play, and seeing the world from their unique vantage point. Play is where children learn they are in control of their world, and by participating, we acknowledge and validate their autonomy.

Engaging with kids on their terms helps forge deeper connections. Dr. Helen Demetriou, a psychologist and author, suggests that such engagements not only fuel children’s creativity but also cultivate empathy and understanding of others’ perspectives (Demetriou & Nicholl, 2021). By actively participating in play, we’re not just facilitating their development but also reigniting our own sense of curiosity and wonder.

Letting the child lead is a powerful strategy for adults to fully embrace the spirit of play. When we follow their lead, we enter their world and partake in their unfiltered imagination and creativity. It allows us to understand their interests, their perspectives, and their unique ways of interpreting and engaging with the world. It places value on their ideas, fostering their confidence and autonomy. And as adults, following their lead encourages us to let go of our inhibitions, assumptions, and preconceived notions. We can come at the world with fresh perspective, embracing the unexpected twists and turns that are inherent to child-led play.

As we begin to navigate the landscape of play, two distinct categories emerge: structured play and free play. Both play an integral role in child development and offer unique benefits, and understanding their differences and knowing how to balance the two is essential.

Ultimately, both structured play and free play are crucial for a child’s development. As parents and educators, finding a balance between the two – providing the security of structured activities and the freedom of unstructured play – enables kids to reap the benefits of both worlds.

Structured play, as the term suggests, revolves around defined rules, goals, or guidelines. This can include games with set rules, puzzles, craft activities with a specific outcome, organized sports, or even practical skills and household tasks. These activities foster logic, problem-solving, active listening, and goal achievement.

Researchers highlight that structured play also provides an emotional benefit, offering a low-stress environment for children as they navigate the game or activity within established parameters (Schlesinger, Hassinger-Das, Zosh, Sawyer, Evans & Hirsh-Pasek, 2020). It presents a valuable opportunity for children who may initially struggle with play, guiding them through a process while still offering an element of fun.

One of the most natural and meaningful ways to engage in structured play is through practical skills. This doesn’t necessarily involve classic play activities; instead, it turns everyday tasks into enjoyable, engaging experiences.

Baking a batch of cookies becomes an exploration of measurements and self-sufficiency, tidying up the room turns into a fun sorting game, and watering the garden evolves into a lesson about how tomatoes grow. Each of these activities has a structure and a goal, but they’re woven into daily life in such a way that they don’t feel like typical ‘structured play.’

When parents and children engage in these activities together, kids don’t see these activities as chores but as playful, shared experiences they get to help their parents with.

In essence, using practical skills as structured redefines the boundaries of play, showing us that play isn’t confined to designated ‘playtime’ or ‘play areas,’ but can be a delightful part of our daily routines and tasks.

Free play is open-ended and allows for exploration and socialization. It gives children the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. It boosts confidence, encourages movement and exercise, and fosters creative thinking. The key here is not to fear mistakes, but to see them as opportunities for growth.

Activities under this umbrella include imaginative play, outdoor play, or any spontaneous activity initiated by the child.

Free play encourages creativity and confidence, fostering a sense of autonomy. Dr. Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology, contends that free play, by virtue of its unstructured nature, equips children with the ability to negotiate, cooperate, and manage conflicts (Gray, 2013).

Sensory play is a type of free play that involves engaging children’s senses. This could be anything from playing with water, sand, or playdough, to exploring the outdoors and interacting with nature. Sensory play encourages children to investigate, create, imagine, and discover on their own terms.

Engaging in sensory play is an incredibly stimulating and rewarding form of free play. These activities, which engage a child’s senses – touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight, and hearing – allow kids to explore their world naturally and intuitively.

Consider activities like playing with sand, water, or clay, exploring the outdoors, painting, or even cooking. There’s no specific goal or rules to follow – children are free to interact with the materials as they wish, making it a perfect example of free play.

You can easily participate in sensory play alongside your kids, whether it’s building sandcastles, splashing water, or creating a family masterpiece with finger paint. The beauty of sensory play lies in its simplicity and its capacity to absorb children completely (often adults too!).