Activities to Inspire Creativity in Toddlers

A lot of parents are excited to inspire creative and innovative children with toys and planned activities. While it may not seem the best option, unstructured play is the best way to inspire your child! Today we discuss what unstructured play looks like and how it inspires creativity in toddlers.

What is Unstructured Play?

Parents can often feel guilty if they aren’t spending time with their children. This often leads to structured play where the parents plays with the child or verbally guides the child through play. But often, the idea of play to a child and an adult is different. Unstructured play or Child-Led Play can lead to less stressed children.

Example of Parent led Play

You see your toddler stacking blocks, but they keep putting the second block too close to the edge and the tower quickly topples. You decide to sit with your child and show them, if you put the block directly on top of the other they can stack the blocks higher.

While it may feel like you’re helping your child you are taking away their opportunity to learn. If left alone the toddler will eventually learn the “correct” way to stack blocks. On their journey to learn the “right” way they will make mistakes, and this will push them to make creative or new approaches to stacking.

How Does Unstructured Play Encourage Creativity?

As mentioned in the example, children learn by getting a hands on view of the world. When they throw their food on the ground they are running an experiment: Where did the food go? What will it sound like when it falls? How will my parent react? If I do it again will something new happen?

When we as adults step back and allow our kids to play how they want to play, they will make mistakes. These mistakes are how they learn how the world works. Facing mistakes or roadblocks allows children to think creatively to come to the “right” solution.

A big part of creativity is there is no right or wrong approach. When we teach our children it’s ok to make mistakes and to experiment, they have more confidence to try new things. As adults, we just need to give them the tools they need to experiment on their own and take a step back.

Child-Led Activities that Inspire Creativity

Sensory Bins

Build a Fort

Collect all the boxes from everything you’ve been getting from online orders. Flatten some boxes and give your child some art supplies. Especially large boxes give a great place for children to play and hide and they can be as rough as they would like.

Forts can also be made with other supplies:

• Boxes
• Blankets
• Furniture Cushions
• Chairs
• Pillows

If your child invites you to play and asks for help or a question. First ask them what they think they should do.

Bring out the Pots and Pans

Fancy toys are not needed for free play. Bring out some nesting pans and a wooden spoon or whisk. As long as the items are safe plenty of household items are interesting for little ones to interact with. Consider giving your toddler a bunch of different size plastic containers and bottles along with their lids. These items can teach motor skills and problem solving.

Free Play at the Park

On your next trip to the park take a passive position by watching from the bench. As long as your toddler is safe they will have fun exploring on their own. Maybe they will search for bugs, maybe they will play in the sand, maybe they will go down the slide by themselves! Your child will find creative ways to keep themselves busy in a safe way while playing outside.

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Kinder Buddies Oakville Child Care is a Quality First Daycare and Infant Care facility in Oakville, Ontario. We take care of children from the age of 6 weeks to 5 1/2 providing nutritious meals and fun activities all day long.