The girls and I are playing along with everyone over at Childhood 101 for We Play again this week.
We have plenty of toys for our girls to enjoy and most of them were found in what my new friend calls "designer shops" (Op Shops). Some toys were gifts from friends and family and of course we've also given some ourselves as gifts. We have toys that inspire play from construction to role play to problem solving to creative art. I love looking for educational toys at Op Shops for a small price (very small!).
Could my girls survive without all these toys?
Without a doubt my answer is yes! I have seen play come from nothing but the joy of a friendship and the inspiration and imagination each brings to the friendship. When my niece Miss L and my own Miss M get together their imaginations run wild. They have particular strengths in opposite areas of development and yet some are quite similar. To put the two together they can be dynamic in play!
Recently we spent a weekend away with family to see my brother and his family who were up from Melbourne. Actually his visit was an added surprise so it was a wonderful weekend. Miss M and her big cousin Miss L see each other often so they have formed a very special friendship. Miss L talks about Miss M as her "pretend sister" and Miss M talks about Miss L as her "bestie". Cousin love is oh so special and all Miss M's cousins are equally special - Miss L just lives the closest so we see her the most for play dates. With hardly a toy packed (there wasn't any more room left in the car!) these two set to playing together all weekend.
In their play world the stairs become a "big school", a bedroom becomes "a house", a long chair becomes a "bunk bed" and the lounge room becomes "a concert stage". With little or no toys these two can create any play scene they want because they can use each other's imaginations.
There's endless hours of fun and games with that amount of love and friendship!
"The love of a family is life's greatest blessing."
Come play at the Childhood 101 We Play link up
8 comments:
Imagination is the best toy you can have! I love the special bond between the girls and that they can imagine together. :)
Imagination and cousins a great combination :)
It is wonderful to see the depth in children's play when they get together with someone they play with often.
fabulous post... you are so right, the best toy by far is a child's imagination! Why do we get so hung up on buying them this that or the other?
I totally agree, there is nothing as great as a child's imagination.
It's funny, earlier on I would have thought I needed certain things for our girls. I really wanted to buy them a kitchen for the playroom....so we did. You know they have had more fun making kitchen play else where and using odd things as cooking utensils and bowls etc. They have each other!
Aren't you glad you couldn't fit the toys in the car? That kind of play is by far the most meaningful ... and memorable!
Donna :) :)
How lucky your girls are to have each other and extended family of similar ages to play with. I once heard of a preschool who for one whole week put away all of the toys, the children played with each other and natural materials they had collected. It was fascinating!
Post a Comment