Ideas to Encourage Creative Play for Toddlers (and young school age children)

When you're at home with your toddlers all day, it can be tempting to turn on the TV to get a break when they're starting to drive you crazy. Though my kids get a little screen time in the afternoon (when I need it most ;)), I try to keep them off of screens all morning/early afternoon and encourage them to play. During the rainy months, this usually ends up being a lot of indoor play time. When trapped inside, my easily overstimulated brain can only take so much of the electronic singing and talking toys that all kids seem to love so much, so we've created several opportunities for creative play that don't require batteries. When my son was younger he would often do many of these activities during rest time in his room too, which gives him a great opportunity to stretch his imagination during independent play and gives his mama a much needed break!

1) Tracks

Train track and car track sets allow kids to build entire cities full of vehicles, buildings, construction sites, and adventures. Every time they build, the end result is different so the stories and adventures that they create can also be dramatically different. WIth younger kids, having a few cars and a rug or mat with roads and destinations on it (a school, hospital, sandwich shop, fire station, etc) can be a great way to jump start the creativity that comes with creating environments. Adding characters from a favorite book or show can also help them to expand their story telling (i.e. Paw Patrol pups, Daniel Tiger's family, or Encanto characters)

2) Couch Cushions and Blankets

I feel like couch cushions are one of those quintessential "back when I was a kid" toys, lol. But they are just as awesome now as when we were kids. They can be used for building forts or castles with drawbridges. They can be made into obstacle courses or mountains and lakes that you have to climb over and swim through to complete a mission or a treasure hunt. My kids have even spontaneously spent the day spelunking in the deep caves and caverns created by a pile of cushions. You might be surprised at the games your kids can create with a few cushions and a pile of blankets.

3) Dolls or Stuffies

Mixed with a doctor's kit, changes of clothes, or a stroller or car that they can ride in, dolls and stuffies make for great creative play opportunities. They can be patients that need help, babies that need food and care, friends to talk with, adventurers to explore with, pets in need of veterinary care, or heroes that are off to save the day. They can be renamed and recast into various roles as interests and play evolve.

4) Household Toys

Having a play phone or kitchen set can be wonderful pretend play. Maybe your kids will start "calling" their grandparents, aunties, or friends. It can be entertaining and informative to hear what they have to say during those phone calls. Having a kitchen set up with various pretend foods can also allow them to mimic the cooking that they see you do and let them create their own fun (and sometimes unusual) dishes and meals. They might play restaurant or house and can enjoy creating something for you or their siblings and friends.

5) Books

Our house has a TON of books. We spread them out so that there are some options in the living room, upstairs, and in each of the kids bedrooms. When they were really little they loved to just flip through the books, practice turning the pages and look at all of the pictures. As they got a little older they loved pretending to read the stories or making up stories based on the pictures. Now, my son is learning to read and he still uses some of the same books with simple words and phrases to practice his new found reading skills. We tell him that reading is a SUPERPOWER and encourage every opportunity to look at a book. On long car rides, we currently outlaw all things with batteries and bring several books as well as a few simpler toys to help keep the kiddos entertained.

6) Blocks

Various types of blocks can create endless opportunities for creativity, whether they link together like Lego style blocks or just stack like wooden blocks, kids can create tunnels, bridges, castles, towers, buildings, fire stations, creatures, etc. They can also build items to add to their tracks and cities for a full, interactive creation. Or they can build up an amazing tower that is perfect for knocking down =)

These activities can be done as independent play or with assistance/interaction from mom or dad. Regardless, they are great opportunities to allow your kids to exercise their creativity and imagination. The stories they come up with along the way will no doubt be great fun to listen to as well!

Updated July 22, 2024

© Eickhoff Photography