Encouraging Imaginative, Open-Ended Play with Themed Costumes, Props, Toys, and Books
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Posted by Renee Carver Dec 8, 2008 |
To a child, a piece of cloth is not just a length of fabric. It is a princess's veil, a knight's cape, a mermaid's tail, a pirate's sash, or a fairy's wings. The simplest items can inspire amazing flights of imagination.
The Drawbacks of Licensed Character Toys
Once a child becomes obsessed with a licensed media character such as the Disney Princesses, Ariel the Little Mermaid, Captain Jack the pirate, or Tinkerbell the fairy, that child is less likely to make up his or her own characters and stories. Brand-name characters come with names and histories already established, and a child playing with figures of them will often just copy plotlines from the movies in which they appear.
The Benefits of Good Quality, Generic Costumes and Figures
To encourage truly open-ended play, parents may want to provide children with costumes, playsets, and figures not associated with licensed media products and work to help children come up with their own ideas about what it means to be a princess, knight, mermaid, pirate, or fairy. There isn't anything wrong with collecting and playing with Disney characters, but parents should help children think of ways to play with these characters in scenarios outside of their usual storylines.
Using Imaginative Play to Promote Positive Character Traits
Some parents may have reservations about letting children role-play certain character types, finding princesses too passive or pirates too violent. Such parents can turn children's interest in such characters to their advantage by using them to promote positive traits, for example, presenting pirates as brave treasure-hunters in scenarios involving navigation, geography, and code-breaking skills. (For ideas for role-playing princesses, check out How to Promote Creative Play with Princesses.)
The following articles contain suggestions for many products that can help children experience creative open-ended role playing.
Princess Theme Gift Ideas
Knight (and Castle and Dragon) Theme Gift Ideas
Mermaid Theme Gift Ideas
Pirate Theme Gift Ideas
- Costumes and Dress-Up Accessories
- Room Furniture and Decor
- Playsets, Figures, and Dolls
- Puzzles, Board Games, and Card Games
- Art Supplies, Model Kits, and Craft Kits
Fairy Theme Gift Ideas
- Costumes and Accessories
- Room Decor for Bedrooms and Playrooms
- Fairy, Elf, and Gnome Fantasy Playsets and Figures
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