In a world of schedules, smart phones and business planners, sometimes the best thing you can do for your child is to simply engage her in play. As a parent, you set the activities for your child, which means encouraging play and playfulness begins with you. Being a playful parent doesn’t always mean you are acting silly. However, it does mean that you establish with your child that there is a right place and time to be playful and enjoy play, which helps your child release the energy that allows her to be on her best behavior.
Change Up Your Routine
From going to school to after-school sports to regular dinners, it is easy for your child to feel over-scheduled and stuck in a routine. Playful parenting means you occasionally break up your routine by engaging in a different activity for a day. Instead of setting the activity yourself, ask your child what he would like to do instead. This includes going to a park, playing board games or engaging in a creative activity, such as writing and performing a play. Even if your child does not have a specific activity in mind, think of something different for him to try, such as cooking a new dish for dinner, hosting a dance party or playing a new sport.
Get Creative
When a kid is free to explore life at her own pace, parents can encourage playfulness. Instead of hurrying your child through a museum or zoo or giving her an hour to write a poem or story or draw a painting, commit to spending time for creative play. Let your child know that you are going to spend time doing an activity that she can pursue for as long or as short a period of time as she needs. As a result you’ve opened up a creative space where a child is free to share her ideas without feeling the threat of a looming deadline.
Start Pretending
Few activities stretch your child’s imagination more than pretend play. Pretending can go beyond acting in a play. Instead, you can give your child certain scenarios. For example, ask him what he would say if he were an astronaut, policeman or doctor. Encourage your child to perform creative impressions or act as a character from a favorite book. These activities stretch his imagination and allow you to step into his world and play along. You also can incorporate a learning element into pretend play. When your child is learning numbers and colors, ask him about what it would be like if there were five suns or the sky was yellow. These unexpected applications can broaden your child's thinking while reinforcing what he is learning.
Foster a Creative Space
Creativity requires your child to express something of herself, and this isn’t always easily accomplished. As a parent, you can accomplish playful parenting by working with your child to create a space within your home, or a friend's or family’s home, set aside just for creative play. Ask your child what she wants her creative space to look like. You can section off a portion of your home or create a haven inside a closet, and set it aside as a creative zone. When your child goes in the zone, she knows she is free to be creative.
