Smart Tips for Raising Successful Children Through Play
Posted April 29, 2016 by Fort Magic
Everyone has a different definition of success. But, when it comes to their children, most people want to know that they are happy and healthy as they learn, grow and develop into adolescents and adults. Books have been written about what it takes to raise a successful child, listing everything from proper education to health checkups to nutrition as crucial to a child’s development.
While all of these aspects of child rearing are certainly important, what many parenting guides neglect to mention is the importance of play in a child’s success – mentally, emotionally, and physically. Research shows that play is important for learning for children. Consider these tips for raising successful children through play.
Life is busy but you need to take the time to play with your kids. Add playtime to your schedule to make sure you fit it into each day. Simply spending time playing with your kids is already an important step towards helping them be successful. Children whose parents are more present in a nurturing role are more likely to be successful as adults, as they have role models that they can look up to.
Spending time with your children is a great way to unwind after a long day while you get to know them better. They will look forward to this time, which helps to build their self-esteem and learn how to build relationships with others. Let them talk to you and share their feelings. Encourage them to tell jokes and laugh with you. Laughter is a great way to relieve stress, which is sure to benefit them in the future.
Building a fort is a wonderful way to incorporate play into the day. There are a wide variety of designs you can create together. Encourage your children to draw the fort they want to build then figure out how to make it happen. This teaches them about sizes, shapes, measurements, and problem-solving. Once the fort is done, it becomes a wonderful place to exercise their imaginations and play all types of games.
Incorporate teaching moments into playtime. When your kids are having fun at play, you can take the opportunity to teach important lessons without being forceful or lecturing. For example, having children play together is important in learning about the value of sharing. If you see your kids struggling with this, take the time to teach them about why it is necessary and what they should do to share with each other.
Playtime is a golden opportunity to teach your children about patience. If they have challenges building the type of fort they want, they might get frustrated. Let them know the benefit of taking a deep breath then thinking about solutions rather than problems. This approach is sure to help them become more successful.
Another way to include important messages about life into playtime is to make a reading fort. Include books that have life lessons. Read these books together then talk to your kids about what they learned from the story. You can also give the kids some time to read independently in the quiet privacy of their fort. This teaches them how to learn and work on their own.
Rather than micromanaging, allow your kids to be creative. Although structured play can be helpful, above all you want your kids to have a chance to exercise their imaginations and grow the parts of their brains that are most engaged in problem-solving and creativity. This will help ensure that they can call upon these skills in real-life situations, whether at school or work, in the future.
Introduce a variety of creative concepts to your children with fun and colorful materials. Include crayons, construction paper, paints, and glue at an art table. Have them come up with unique projects using all of the materials. Older kids are sure to enjoy making their own jewelry from beads. Teach them about the joy of giving by having them make friendship bracelets to give to each other. There are many ways to promote creativity in your children, whether it is through simply allowing them to “free play” on their own or having them come up with a creative solution to a problem. Building and construction are particularly known to involve kids’ brains through both creativity and problem-solving, as well as have them feel satisfied in a finished product that they can then play in.
Fort Magic offers numerous fort designs that kids can construct and imagine to be whatever they wish, from pirate ships to fairytale castles. Encourage them to create forts based on a story you recently read. Fill a box with costumes, such as funny hats and crowns, to help inspire them to create new forts and literally “think outside the box.” With Fort Magic, the possibilities are limited only by their imaginations, making it easier to raise a successful kid!
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Photo Credits:
The Artful Parent Blog: One of our absolute favorite creative blogs for children and families. The Artful Parent blog is filled with simple ideas to fill your family’s life with art and creativity. A must see blog for sure.
Learn With Play At Home Blog: An inspiring educational blog created by a primary teacher that strongly believes in making learning FUN & seamless through childhood playtime ideas and activities.
1+1+1=1: The 1plus1plus1equals1 Blog is a fantastic resource on Homeschooling and educational learning ideas from tots to big kids.
Fort Magic Customer Photos via Facebook: Visit our Fort Magic Facebook page to see our customer creativity shine with fun pics and videos of families enjoying their Fort Magic kit during playtime.
Fort Magic Customer Photos via Instagram: Visit our Fort Magic Instagram page to see our customer creativity shine with fun pics and videos of families enjoying their Fort Magic kit during playtime.
