Boo and Little Man have a fair few toys between them. Fortunately, we converted our dining room into a playroom for them, so they have room for them all to go without taking over the house, and of course, they have some in their bedrooms, too.
To make the most of them, I find it’s best to rotate toys, grab out and set up different ones for them to play with from time to time, whether together or individually. I tend to plan in an activity each day, whether that by connected to an outing, a craft project or games together, but then I also like them to use their own imaginations and have their own adventures.
So they have ‘free play’ time every morning after breakfast, where they just run about together, grabbing whatever they like and generally creating chaos and noise wherever they may go! It’s one of my favourite parts of the day, watching them playing and giggling together, and I’m always interested to see what they’ll choose to get up to.
Today, having had a few days staying in as they’ve both been ill, as well as getting a few toys out, they had a cardboard box to play with (Boo is currently sitting in it watching her new Thomas and Friends DVD – review coming soon!), and they raided the kitchen for inspiration, too.
It’s funny how the thing that occupied them for ages was the game they made up themselves with the pans! After they tired of that, I was then interested to see that today they gravitated towards toys that involved building, stacking, creating – maybe a few days under the weather had them wanting to exercise their brains a bit more today?! Lots of fun then ensued with those… 🙂
Do your kids have this free for all time? What are their firm favourites to play with?
Mine love to raid my silicone cupboard and do some pretend baking 🙂
Ah now that is cute!
You cannot beat a cardboard box 🙂 Even the 7yo will still enjoy playing with a box, although he’ll decorate it, out windows in and turn it into a den!
It just has so many possibilities! I love seeing what they’ll choose to do with it.
He has been known to sleep in his box… 🙂
My children mostly seem to love playing make believe games where they will each act a different part, these games rarely involve playing with any toys. It’s great for children to be able to use their imaginations, toys can be quite limiting. x
Ahhh bless them, hope they’re both on the mend now. Sounds like they have lots of fun in their playroom. Our entire downstairs is open plan, and my two just charge around with their babies and buggies ‘going on holiday’ or wherever they desire. It’s very sweet and I like to leave them and their imaginations to it #letkidsbekids
Ah, love watching and listening to free play. My kids have always loved the play kitchen, cooking, having picnics, and now they have cafe’s. I get served up the most unlikely concoctions!
Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids
Monkey is always finding new ways to entertain himself, today I was a tunnel for him to go through
i agree with rotating toys, genius idea! we tend to have lots of free play and then an activity if he’s looking like he’s getting a bit restless or bored. my boys favourite toy at the minute are his jigsaws 🙂
Oh, my daughter loves her jigsaws, too! They keep her entertained for ages, but not Little Man!