To start off our M&T Summer Camp for Kids series this week, we’ve been playing outdoors, getting creative with nature. After eating a popsicle or two out on the grass, our popsicle sticks were just laying around. My girls were asking what they could do, so to help encourage their play, giving them just a little push, I formed the popsicle sticks into a square. I asked them if they could find a few things from around the yard they could use to fill in this “house”.
After a few minutes of searching, they came back with a little pine cone family. And after 30 or so minutes of playtime, they had created a beautiful home for their prickly pine cone friends.
- I’ve written before about 3 ways to promote independent playtime. It’s helpful for children to be given a little bit of encouragement, as you set up the environment for their play.
What is something you can do to share your creativity with your children this week, giving them a little push to help them play on their own?
I often challenge my school-age group to create using materials I’ve set out, or omit a vital art utensil (like scissors) and challenge them to find alternate ways to make their art project work!
Idea: Make playdough together, giving only the ingredients but no measurments and let them have fun figuring out what does and doesn’t work!