Last week I wrote about the importance of unstructured playtime. It sounds all well and good but the reality of our busy schedules doesn’t always allow time for free play. Plus, let’s be honest, it’s so much easier to keep your kids busy (either with scheduled activities or screens) than it is to listen to their complaints of boredom. I know, I’ve been there (oh boy…have I been there).
So here are 4 tips to encourage independent, unstructured play kids:
1. Give them spare time. Limit screen time and scheduled activities (I try to keep the scheduled activities to just one activity at time for each child).
2. Ignore their boredom. When your child complains of boredom, respond in a neutral way (“oh dear”) and/or empathize (“I can see you are bored”) but don’t offer entertainment. Try not to show your frustration (after all annoying mom is fun). Eventually, they’ll figure out that you’re not going to entertain them and they’ll move on. I find it also helps to give them an end time. For example, “You’re on your own until 4:00pm. Then we’ll head out for a walk together.”
3. This may seem counterintuitive, but have fewer toys available for play. Too many toys can be overwhelming for children; they have difficulty choosing. Try rotating toys (Just Play Toy Rental can help with this) and give/throw away toys that are unused, broken, or no longer age-appropriate. With fewer toys, each one becomes more precious. By encouraging your child to focus on only a few toys at a time, he/she is more likely to return to those toys and come up with new ways of playing with them.
4. Be picky when deciding which toys you make available to your child. Be sure to offer open-ended toys (toys that can be played with in more than one way) that will encourage your child to use his/her imagination. (Again, Just Play Toy Rental can help with that!) And don’t forget: a great source of open-ended toys is your recycling bin – boxes, cardboard tubes and some tape offer limitless possibilities!
Do you make a point of making sure your child has screen-free down time? Do you have any tips to share?
