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The Power of Imaginative Play and Creative Play

Did you ever play in a tree house? Or maybe you remember the fun you had building an indoor fort behind the sofa? Did you ever dream of being the captain on a pirate ship, or a princess in your very own castle? Or maybe you had an imaginary friend to play with? Amazing isn’t it how these memories stay with us forever, and yet it was all just our imagination!

The power of the imagination is a genuine force in the growth and development of every child. As parents, we need to remember our own childhood, and to provide the best opportunities for our children to grow and develop. And here at ImagiPlay we think the best way to help our children to grow is to encourage imaginative play and creative play.

​We need to encourage imaginative play

​Have you ever watched children play a make believe game in the yard? Have you ever been amazed by the creations that kids come up with playing with LEGO (building) blocks? Have you ever played robots with your kids, using a few empty boxes?

The power of the imagination is simply amazing, and it is an essential part of a child’s development. Kids love the creativity to invent their own fantasy story, where they belong, where they can live their dreams. It is a normal and healthy part of growing up to use our imagination to create our own fantasy. Deep down we all want to be the hero, or be the princess or just be the starring character in our very own show! A child’s imagination is the secret passageway between reality and fantasy.

Play is powered by the imagination

So is imagination play healthy for kids? Is it okay for children to make up imaginative scenarios during play time? Is it normal to have an imaginary friend? The answer is a resounding YES! Not only is it okay for these types of imaginative play, but it is a normal part of every child’s development. The augmentation of imagination and creativity is an essential developmental indicator. In fact, the absence of these developmental markers should raise more questions than their presence.  Kids need to have creative play time! It is a wonderful thing for children to be able to play out their fantasies and to learn how to develop the powers of imagination and invention.

Imagination powers the mind

The power of invention, the flight of fantasy, a castle in the sky, and dreams that become reality. These are the reasons that we absolutely support the encouragement of imaginative play! We believe that kids need to be encouraged to sue their imagination every day. But this need not be a chore. Kids love to use their creativity, so why not nurture their natural propensity to have creative play and have fun. When kids use their imagination during play time, they are actually developing. For every moment of fun and play is actually a double benefit. Whilst at play, a child’s brain is soaking up the sensory perceptions. In actual fact, imaginative play is instrumental in the social, intellectual and emotional development of your child.

What role do parents have in creative play with children?

There is no doubt that children need freedom to develop their own imagination. A child’s mind need not be restrained or harnessed in any way by the limitations of the parent. But at the same time, kids learn from all external sources. Children learn from reading and listening to stories, songs and folklore. Children take their earliest learning from parents. As parents, we can learn to observe our children, to guide them with suggestion, and to encourage them to learn. But they have to do the imagination and creativity themselves.

Children need to learn boundaries

Life certainly does not always go to plan. Good does not always win over evil. And there can certainly be some challenges that must be overcome. These are also a normal part of life and something that shapes our experiences. And this is where parents can help children to navigate their way through life. And of course, we want them to do it safely. Encourage your children to ask questions of the world around them, to explore, and to have fun with every adventure.

A love for learning

It is important to realise that we never stop growing and developing. Imaginative play is more than simply fun, it is beneficial for developmental reasons. A healthy imagination is what allows creativity to flourish. A healthy imagination stimulates invention, boosts creativity, and promotes feelings of empathy. Put simply, our imagination helps us to learn. The best way to provide a bright future for our children is to teach them a love for learning! That is why we encourage everyone to use the power of imaginative play and creative play to help our children to learn more about life.

The age of creative play

We love to explore the importance of creativity for kids. It is an important part of what we can do to encourage and inspire our child's imagination. But at what age will a child begin to show their creative play nature? Believe it or not, even young toddlers will begin using imaginative play. They can build and develop their imagination from a young age by imitating the people around them. Offer them a pretend telephone, and they will invent their own conversation. Give them a doll and they will try to dress it up, or give them a toy animal and they will pretend to look after it. These are just some of the many forms of creative play and imaginative play.

Role playing is imaginative play

From 2 years old, children will begin to have fun with role playing, and have fun with dress ups. They can take the most basic props, such as an empty box, and turn it into a car, or a robot, or a stage for a puppet show.

Educational Toys for kids

As kids get older, their imagination will lead them into a wider range of educational toys.  For example, the ever popular science toys, educational toys, STEM toys and all sorts of learning toys.  But these are still forms of learning through creative play.

Science toys for kids

There is no better time to engage children with the wonders of science and engineering.  The so called STEM toys are brilliant for learning toys for kids of all ages.  Science toys for kids are guaranteed to hold their concentration and stimulate their imagination for learning.

​Check out this smartphone microscope at Amazon.

Building and construction will foster imaginative play

The all time favourite would have to be building blocks, which encourages endless creative play. There is no limit to the scale of invention once children start to build with wooden blocks or LEGO shapes. Even better is to encourage children to work together on building projects, because then they can learn about interaction at the same time as imagination!

Reading is always popular

Reading books would have to be the ultimate flight of fantasy into another world. It can be an amazing experience for a child to read their first story, and to be transported to an imaginary place they never dreamed of. Of course, if your child is too young to read for themselves, then you have an ideal opportunity to share the imaginary journey with them!

Create a story

Let their imagination run wild, and let them create their own story. The truest sense of imaginative play is to encourage children to invent their own story. Can you imagine a world where the constraints of the real world no longer exist! Maybe it is time to go on an imaginary journey with your children.

Reduce TV and computer time

These activities are too passive for children, whose brains are stimulated by activity. Kids can be fooled into believing that computer games are fun, when in actual fact they stifle imagination, and reduce creative play.

Click here to read about the best telescope for kids

How to encourage imaginative play time for children?

It is easy for parents to overlook opportunities for imaginative play time and creative -play. Parents get busy doing grown up stuff. But kids are always on the lookout for an opportunity to play. Play time might seem to be trivial, but the opposite is true. Play time is when children learn the practical aspects of life, such as how to cooperate with others, and how to communicate effectively. Rather than constrain when children can play, we should encourage them with play based learning. Or educational toys for kids.  Provide them with a play room, or warm and cosy rug to play on where they can be near you. Regularly change the toys that are available for children on any given day. Or change the props from construction, to dress ups, to reading or whatever. Provide them with opportunities to play with other kids, such as a playdate with friends. The key is that they actively participate in play based learning activities.

Stimulation is the key to the imagination

Never run out of ideas to keep your kids busy with educational toys for kids. There are a wealth of ideas, toys and novelties to keep children entertained. Join us here at ImagiPlay as we search for the ultimate way to engage our children in creative play that lights up their imagination. There are fun learning toys and activities that encourage kids to play with other kids. There are learning toys for kids that encourage construction, innovation, and creativity. There are science toys that help with growth and development. There is nothing more stimulating that science toys for kids that stretch their imagination! There are also fun outdoor activities that encourage running, jumping, riding and swimming. At the end of the day, the only limit to having fun is our own imagination!

The ultimate guide for parents

Here at ImagiPlay, we also provide parenting guides for a wide range of kids stuff. Like the best beds for kids, the best movies to share with kids, the funniest onesies for kids, as well as parenting books for raising happy and healthy kids. We can help you with all sorts of helpful ideas, such as kids party ideas, to dress ups, to party games and help to find that perfect gift.

Gift Ideas for Kids – Inspire them with Educational Toys, Games and Gifts

We just love to find educational toys and gift ideas for kids that inspire their imaginative play, and their creative mind! We enjoy the challenge of going back to those childhood days and reliving the memories to try to find those special toys that inspired us when we were kids. To be honest, we enjoy those moments of fantasy when we relive those memories! We enjoy those little moments when we can return to the basics of our own childhood to find learning toys and gifts that inspire imaginative play and creative play time.

What role should technology play in our kids imagination?

We live in fortunate times! The influence of technology is almost unavoidable in our world. But this should be considered as an opportunity to provide our kids with an unlimited range of interactive and educational toys. There are technology base toys which can be great gift ideas for children. And we also find fantastic gift ideas to inspire inventiveness and imaginative play. Why not use the full range of resources that are available? The trick is to find a balance between the use of technology to entertain kids.

How to choose the best gifts and educational toys for kids?

It is never easy to find the best educational toys for kids. We need to find things that are age appropriate, gender specific, and something suited to the individual child. For example, a physically active child may prefer outdoor activities, whilst a creative type may prefer indoor toys. Sometimes the problem can be too much to choose from! Sometimes we just need a little help to get us on the right track to find the best educational toys for children.

Kids in their early years of school require a different type of learning and stimulation than pre-school age. School kids receive most of their mental stimulation during the school day. As kids get older, the interactions with other kids changes their perspective on the world. The best educational toys for kids are those that support their learning skills and help to advance their education.

Choose kids gift ideas that are educational and fun for creative play

It becomes more important to find gift ideas for kids that hold their attention. Kids educational toys that enhance their imagination can actually enhance their learning progress at school. But all young kids, whether boy or girl, just love to have fun. The educational toys for kids are those that offer fun and excitement away from the formality of the school.

At ImagiPlay, we have taken away the guess work and found a wide variety of educational toys for kids. We considered a list of benefits such as creativity, development and play based imagination. Quality and safety also come into the equation to make sure that you can choose with confidence. Choosing the best educational toys for kids need not be difficult. Browse our lists of age and gender specific lists to find the best learning toys for children.

Toys for 6 year old boys

Toys for 7 year old boys

Toys for 8 year old boys

Best gifts and toys for older kids?

All kids are engrossed in technology these days, so it can be difficult to find alternatives to keep older kids entertained. However, why not use the benefits of technology to offer them learning opportunities. It is possible to augment existing technology with new and exciting accessories that open up new possibilities. But we do not expect that life should be dominated by technology. At ImagiPlay, we found a wide range of exciting gift ideas for older kids growth and advancement. These educational toys for kids are intended to encourage other developmental attributes. This includes physical fitness coordination skills, communication skills, as well as a focus on use of the imagination.

Gift Ideas for 10 year old boys

Gift Ideas for 12 year old boys

Best gift ideas for teenagers

If you have ever felt lost for gift ideas for 13 year olds, then don’t panic! We have taken the guess work out of the equation. We have assessed a whole range of great gift ideas for teens. We can find the best gift ideas for physical development, social development and maturity. We aim to bring you the best gift ideas for teenage boys and girls that help to develop a broad range of skills, self-confidence, responsibility as well as health and physical activity.

​Best toys and gifts for teenagers?

We can help with the best gift ideas for Christmas presents, birthday gifts, and special occasions. We have evaluated the best gift ideas for teenagers across a variety of diverse qualities. Some teenagers love arts and crafts, some are sports minded, and some are dedicated to quieter activities like reading and technology. So we have attempted to find the best gift ideas for teenagers of all different personalities.

Gift Ideas for 13 year old boys - The best gift ideas for teenage boys are designed to help them on their journey into adulthood. The best gifts for 13 year boys promotes the development of the body, mind and intellect, and should prepare the path for adulthood.

Gift Ideas for 13 year old girls – teenage girls are learning to become confident with their maturity. They are learning to act like an adult, but must decide to leave their childhood behind. The challenge for teenage girls is to leave a happy and fulfilled childhood, in order to begin the next phase of the journey.

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Best educational toys for kids

Imaginative play is the most important mechanisms for kids growth and development. When we understand the importance that imagination plays in the development of our children, it is vital to encourage this aspect of their development.

There is an endless list of gift ideas to choose from, but here at ImagiPlay, we are particularly interested in developmental of imaginative play and play based learning. We look for educational toys for kids that stimulate the imagination of children. We especially look for learning toys and science toys that fully engage all aspects of physical activities, mental stimulation, and social interactions.

Feel free to browse our other articles with lots of gift ideas for educational toys for kids of all ages.

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