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Creative play is a dynamic process that involves imagination and
freedom to explore.
When you and your child participate in creative play
your child is practicing and developing communication and abstract thinking
skills.
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Pay attention to your child’s creativity by providing new
experiences, challenging their abilities and responding to emerging
interests.
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Allow children to direct their own creative play. Too much direction
constricts imagination and hinders self confidence.
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Ask open-ended questions and hope for many answers. An example of an
open-ended question is “What do you think will happen next?” The
main idea is that your question does not have a one word answer.
Your questions should help open discussion about the subject matter.
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Describe what you see your child creating. “You mixed yellow and
blue to make the color green.”
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Ask your child to describe their creation. Don’t assume you know
what they made. A simple dot of paint to you could be a wonderful
magic machine to your child. Ask questions like, “Tell me about
that?”
 
Good Things about Creative Play
The list could go on and on but here are a couple of the wonderful
benefits of creative play.
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Make believe lets a child bring the complicated grown up world down
to their size.
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Children who engage in pretend play are more joyful and cooperative,
more willing to share and take turn, and have larger vocabularies.
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When creating their own ideas children feel more confident in
expressing themselves.
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A child can accomplish a task during creative play and feel more
confident about their choices.
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A child learns empathy for others through creative play.
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Let your child know that you, too, are sometimes bored.
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Be a good role model by letting your child see you filling your
quiet times with reading, writing, gardening or other low-key
activities.
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Share your daydreams with your child and encourage her to share hers
with you.
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Brainstorm a list of activities with your child for the next time he
gets bored and keep the list handy.
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Provide a healthy dose of unscheduled time throughout the year.
Family Learning and Play Website Links
Articles
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Other CMC Family Learning Page Links:
Family Learning
Happening in Each Exhibit and Beyond
Creative
Play: It’s For Everyone
Free Choice Learning:
A Family Affair
Creative Play Tips
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