The Power of Play
“Play is the work of the child.”
Maria Montessori
I find during these summer months, when my little ones are playing outdoors, that it is refreshing to pay attention to their sense of wonder. Summer is a magical time when we can slow down and really savor the delight of our children immersed in play.
During my earliest years of parenting toddlers, I was always so concerned with keeping them busy. I'd plan out our day using the advice that the activity-loving moms of the internet told me would keep my toddler entertained for hours. I don't know about anyone else out there, but the activities that took me a half hour to prepare took my toddler a whole three minutes to complete before she decided she was ready for something else.
These days, I'm finding that my children can be just as happy, if not happier, when I don't overschedule them. Letting their imaginations run wild is such a joy to witness. As scary as it may sound, boredom is the best ingredient for nurturing creative kids. Letting them reach a point of boredom doesn't mean they have to be sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Rather, it is about being intentional with the way you schedule their day, making sure there is plenty of time for imaginative play.
When my three are looking for something to do, I provide options that I think of more as prompts than activities. Providing little ones with a baby pool and a bowl full of pom poms, a cardboard playhouse and dress-up clothes, or blanket forts and flashlights in the basement are not just props, but an invitation to dream up their own worlds and adventures.
Nothing screams summer like creative free play, popsicles, and barefoot running in the backyard. Setting up an art station on the back deck or inviting everyone inside to snuggle up in sleeping bags for a read-aloud are just a few ways you can nurture creativity all summer long!
