Think your kids need to mix a little more imagination into their play time? Tired of endless video games? Hours and hours of television? Spending even less time outdoors? Why not mix in a few old fashioned toys? Toys like building sets, dolls and dishes, pedal cars, and other toys that don’t require batteries or electricity? Not every toy has to have flashing lights, annoying noises, or any one of a hundred other electronic features for kids to like playing with them.
One of the most “old fashioned” activities that your child will ever develop is a love of reading. You can encourage this by providing them with plenty of books, covering a variety of topics. From fiction to non-fiction, poetry, and even biographies (who can forget the little biographical books about historical characters that we all checked out of the library as children?), gather age appropriate books and read them together! In fact, make going to the library an outing, choosing books and bringing them home to read. Get your child excited about reading and you will turn your child into a “reader” for his or her entire life.
Playing dress up is yet another way to encourage imagination, and even though little girls dressing up like princesses is what immediately comes to mind, playing dress up is actually a non-gender specific activity that all children love! Old Halloween costumes, occupational accessories (think doctor or nurse play “medical kits,” fireman’s boots and hats, police uniforms and accessories, etc.), an old prom dress or tuxedo, a business suit or two…basically, anything that will stimulate the imagination. Your children and their friends will spend hours acting like their favorite television or movie characters, creating and performing “plays” for you, and practicing to be grownups.
Paper dolls and hand puppets encourage language and social development, and just like other old fashioned toys, they stir the imagination! Even better, paper dolls are inexpensive, you can even make them yourself with a template, cardstock and your computer. (Your children can even create their own paper doll clothing and accessories by tracing the doll shape and drawing/coloring the clothing themselves.)
Puppets are another old fashioned toy that is still very popular, and now comes in more modern characters, such as your child’s favorite cartoon or movie character, modern family puppets (including different family combinations), and more. If money is a problem, most kids still love making their own. Simple stick families (made from craft sticks), sock puppets, and even brown paper bag puppets are lots of fun and easy to make.
Musical instruments are another old fashioned toy that children not only love, but has seen modern updates, including the addition of microphones, electronic sounds, and recording features so your child can hear himself or herself play and sing. And if you’re not so interested in the modern sounds? The more traditional instruments, such as kazoos, xylophones, and even little drums, are still out there, and they are just as much fun as the modern versions, but typically, far less expensive. You can also turn the creation of musical instruments into a fun activity for everyone by using a few basic household supplies.
Of course, these are just a few of the old fashioned toys that you can mix into your child’s play time to encourage imaginative, creative activities that will get your kids off the couch, away from the television, game console, or computer, and into the habit of moving, learning and exploring the world around them.
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