Sparking Imagination

As children cope with the recent disruption in their daily lives, early educators have been extolling the value of many opportunities to engage in creative, imaginative play, and time in nature.

In an article that forms the basis of an Out of the Box Training Kit called “Sparking Imaginations,” Karen Stephens writes this about creative play:

“The benefits of play to lifelong success have been touted in radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. It gives early childhood professionals a powerful, credible advocacy tool to use with parents and community leaders as we strive to put children's play back into the heart of early childhood curriculum.

In A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting the Evidence, (Hirsh-Pasek, et al.) a review of research confirms that children's self-initiated play nurtures overall development, not just cognitive development (such as learning to name colors, numbers, or shapes). In fact, research builds a very strong case that childhood play is a required experience in order to become a civilized, fully-realized human being. “

And, an organization called Tinkergrten has let us know that they are developing supports for families to help them enjoy activities in nature with their children. They have recently launched Tinkergarten At Home.  They have asked us to share with all of you one of the activities on Water Play, available for access in both Spanish and English. Feel free to use these and pass them on to others

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