Imaginative play is how children learn. At Critter’s age, she can become anything using only the power of her imagination… and maybe a few props. When American Plastic Toys and Epoch Everlasting Play contacted us to try a few of their products in exchange for our honest opinions, we jumped on the chance. While I write and Justin interprets, Critter has a job too— playing.
Over the years, I’ve developed a love of cooking. Whether I’m making cakes or salads or anything in between, you can guarantee that Critter is nearby, playing with her toy kitchen gear. She mixes like I do, pours like I do, and even chops like I do. But when my dad is outside grilling, her indoor kitchen just won’t work. So what do we do? We use her “My Very Own Grill” from American Plastic Toys. While my dad stands at the grill, cooking kebabs and burgers, Critter stands beside him at her own grill. It comes with tongs, so she can even turn the food she’s pretending to grill— just like Papaw!
Another of our favorite ways to encourage imaginative play is dress-up. Critter and her friends love dressing up as dinosaurs, princesses, sports stars, doctors, firefighters, and everything else we can find a costume for. Once they’re in costume, it’s easy for them to get into the game and live out their dreams for the future, whether it’s ruling a country or delivering the mail.
Critter also loves dolls and figurines. She’s not quite old enough to make complex storylines, but she’s figuring out the basics of imaginative play. The Calico Critter Cozy Cottage is a great way to get her started with using dolls and figurines to explore her world. The Cozy Cottage comes with a cottage, furniture, and a Calico Critter. It’s a great way to start your Calico Critter collection, and our Critter loves the bunny that came with the cottage. She also likes that the Cozy Cottage can be remodeled. The second floor of the Cozy Cottage can be taken down and used to extend the first floor or to make a cute front yard for the Calico Critters to enjoy.
Another way we encourage imaginative play is by spending lots of time outdoors. Critter is often inspired by animals she sees and loves imitating them! Blocks are another good way to encourage imaginative play in kids. Whether they’re building castles, skyscrapers, or pretending to be Godzilla and knocking down towers, it’s a good way to get little minds going.
What’s your favorite way to encourage imaginative play in kids?
We just started a company called Brain Blox and our kids literally spend 3-4 hours a day building alllll the things. https://www.mybrainblox.com/
Wow, these toys are such good toys for kids. It indeed helps the kids imagination be more nurtured. I guess I need to tell this to my cousins, friends and colleagues who already have kids so they can consider this for their kids.
We love those little critters in our home! My son loves to play all kinds of things, from Cops and Robbers to school!
Getting kids to use their minds and imaginations is the best way to get them to discover their passion. This is a great post. Thank you.
This is how childhood is supposed to be, all about the imagination! I love this little grill set!!
That little grill is the cutest ever! I want to get one for my youngest. She would love to cook like Daddy does!
My daughter loves helping me in the kitchen and loves playing with her own kitchen set. I love when my kids use their imagination instead of being on electronics!
I loved playing with these kinds of toys as a kid. I’m pretty sure my toy kitchen helped develop my love for cooking.
These toys are super cute. My kiddos would love that little barbecue set.
I love these ideas for imaginative play. Providing them with toys is definitely important and it helps so much with bringing out their creativity and imagination.
I used to get my kids these type of toys so they can be creative and their imagination will work at its best. We used to have the kitchen set for the kids.
My husband loves the iPad (and Netflix) so I really want to encourage more imaginative play with him. That BBQ set is so adorable! Gotta get one for him.
These toys are so adorable. When the kiddos were younger they had a bunch of grocery and baking play toys. They had so much fun with them.
Imaginitive play is the most inspiring thing to watch with kids, and rewarding to take part in as well. My four year old still loves to play house.
These are the cutest toys. My daughter actually had a play grill when she was small. Plus a kitchen. She loved it!
When my grandson was younger, he had a grill like that and he loved to pretend he was grilling for all of us. Looks like so much fun!
That is the best way for kids to learn! My boys had the best play kitchen when they were little and spent hours making us meals on it.
I think that is the best way for kids to learn. I can say that I am definitely guilty of letting my kid on the screen but I do limited and then I have him play with toys because they cannot discover who they are by sitting there staring at a screen.
Totally agree with learning through imagination. The best is to let them play with kitchen toys or to play house acting as mom or dad or anyone as a matter of fact. There are many more ways to fuel their imagination.
Children showed be encouraged to have an imagination and have fun. Love it when they mimic mom or dad.