I'm getting bored! Well, we are going to promote free play
I'm getting bored!
-Hey, I'm so happy, I usually respond.
Doesn't it sound familiar to you? The imagination has no limits and it also entertains for hours. So a bored boy or girl is synonymous with letting their imagination and creativity fly.
Life full of rush, extracurricular activities and chores may not leave boys and girls time to be with themselves and invent. In the situation in which we have been and are going to be at home much more, it is perfect for them to get bored and learn to play alone.
At home, Martina is almost 8 and Leo is 3 years old. It is important to understand that each age and boy/girl is different. And depending on the stages they are in, it may or may not be easier for them to play for hours in peace.
At 8 years old they entertain themselves a lot, you have to find something that motivates them:
- Learn to play an instrument. The Ukulele for example. Watching tutorials to learn something is an educational way of using technologies. Here you have an account where you can learn
- Paint with watercolor.
- Draw.
- Write a journal or letters to family and friends.
- Table games.
- Puzzles.
- Make macrame bracelets . We can remember it ourselves and then teach them.
- Read a book. Adventures work very well here. The Primos SA saga is a success.
At that age they have many entertainment options.
The little one, Leo, is something else. It is “dynamite for the chickens”, as my mother would say. Surely more than one who knows him is nodding in agreement.
He loves to explore (his favorite hiding place is the bathtub), ride his bike and make a den inside the closet. The first weeks were complicated. I was alone with the two of them all day, like thousands of people: trying to work, food, the oldest's homework, and the little one wanting to explore.
At first, his free play time was limited to watching stories, turning his room around, and putting pieces of wood on the floor. To watch stories, I prepared a play space for him and surrounded him with books for him to choose from. Half an hour was the maximum time he entertained himself.
Now I can say that he is in Kietoparao with a lot of things and has a lot of fun alone. So… it can be done, friends, it can be done!
After this confinement he has developed an ability to entertain himself that gives us peace in many ways.
We can do lots of things while playing. If I could do it, you can do it too!
How was the process?
- OVER TIME: it hasn't happened all at once, it has been a progressive evolution.
- IN THE RIGHT PLACE: I always played in a safe place where they can play freely.
- AN EYE ON HIM: That you can keep an eye on him.
- THE LESS IS MORE PHILOSOPHY: not many things, if something didn't work we changed the game.
- SIMPLE THINGS: With many possibilities to create: blocks, simple dolls...
What do I think have been the keys?
- Let him do it alone, without instructions. The first times will only be minutes (it will depend a lot on age). Over time it can be hours.
- Place simple elements that they can play with or that you know entertain them.
- Play relaxing music to give you peace of mind.
What kind of games are good to inspire you?
- Construction
- Costumes
- Stories
- Paint
- symbolic game
Leo makes a mix between construction with Legos and symbolic play with the dolls from the game itself or with some Ninja turtles rescued from the trunk of memories. Figurines to make up their stories and put propellers on Lego boats is what entertains him the most in the world.
We wanted to tell you about our experience in case it can help more families reduce the hours of screen time and encourage children to always play and continue developing their personality. We remind you that in the previous post we talked about 10 alternatives to screens.
Good weekend!
