💞💞💞
Play is actually a developmental milestone. It is critical for development of problem solving skills, analytical skills, flexibility, spatial awareness, sharing of ideas, verbal fluency, and the ability to mentally focus on something. 

So how do you help your toddler and/or preschooler play?

It is important to allow your child the freedom to have self-initiated play by providing them with unstructured time and open ended items. These include baskets of rocks, sticks, pine cones, silk scarves, etc. Modeling is also important- having them watch you cook, clean, put things away, iron, etc will provide them with opportunities to mimic. Of note, children rarely want to play their own age, they often play a baby, an adult, or an animal. 
🌈🌈🌈
I also love these wooden figures by Ostheimer Wooden Toys as well as the wooden rainbows 🌈 by Grimms wooden toys as they help provide accessories to the scenes that kids set up.

As a parent, it’s best to sit back, watch and observe where their imagination takes them 💫 

Comment below with your child’s favorite independent play item ⤵️