Gift-giving season is upon us. And while you list down your options on what to wrap for the little ones on your list, you might also want to consider giving them toys they can play in multiple and varied ways. These are called open-ended toys.
Based on your child’s developmental stage, interest, or imagination, a set of building blocks can be transformed into a humble house, a castle, or a skyscraper. Because the possibilities are endless, children need to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to play with these kinds of toys. They encourage open-ended play, which simply put is playing without boundaries. Open-ended toys aren’t limited to just one form of play so a kid’s imagination can definitely run wild and free.
Need more reasons to start investing in open-ended toys? Read on.
1. They require minimal to no guidance.
There’s no reason for us mamas to show our child how to play with open-ended toys. The goal is to give them space for creativity and freedom as they play pretend and decide for themselves what to make of the toy. This way, we are also training them to be independent.
Your child can play modeling dough for hours to no end—and that means more time for you to accomplish other tasks on your never-ending list!
2. Open-ended toys encourage endless creativity and imagination.
They leave plenty of room for a child’s ideas. When kids play with this type of toy, they use their imagination and creativity to find new ways to use the same toy. Your little one gets to figure out by themselves how their playtime will look like.
A doll that was a doctor’s patient yesterday can be their student as they pretend to be a teacher the next time they play. It’s safe to say open-ended toys foster their creative thinking and story-telling skills!
3. They don’t need batteries!
Don’t you also get tired buying or looking for old batteries just to make a toy work? With open-ended toys, you need not worry about this. Stacking cups, for example, can be used to build a tower or as kitchen tools of your little masterchef. Open-ended toys can be enjoyed without batteries!
4. Open-ended toys grow with your child.
They are called “forever toys” for a reason. As opposed to the “one and done” type of toys, open-ended ones grow with your child. Magnetic tiles can be made into random shapes by a toddler, a car or an animal by a preschooler, or an elaborate building by a grade schooler.
That’s less clutter for us mamas as we don’t need to buy new toys every time. Oh, and great savings too!
