7 Ways Creative Play Benefits Children!

Creative Play Offers Many Gifts for Children

By John D. Moore, PhD

If you are a parent with young children, you have likely struggled with trying to find toys that go beyond their simple entertainment purpose. Let’s be real about it – most of the products on the market today are nothing more than an extension of Hollywood movie studios, designed to promote an upcoming flick or imprint a brand on a child’s psyche. These “got to have” toys are usually difficult to obtain, highly expensive and frequently abandoned by the child after just a few days.

And while some of these products may bring temporary happiness to your little ones, you may want to ask yourself the following question: Do these toys really help to spark my child’s imagination or promote creativity?

If you answered no, you may be wondering about other options. Something we would like you to consider are toys that fall into the realm of creative play.

What is creative play?

You may be wondering what that terms means? Our non-clinical definition of creative play is simply this: Creative play involves any object that sparks the imagination and promotes creative expression.

Examples include a paper plate that transforms into a flying saucer or a piece of cloth that becomes a magical scarf. Other examples include a set of butterfly wings made of silk that empower imaginative flight or silk crowns that can be used for dress up royalty.

This kind of play was often the focus of famous child psychologist, Jean Piaget, who is considered by many as the father of developmental psychology.

Creative Play Benefits

Today, creative play – also referred to as imaginative play – is recognized for its many therapeutic effects on aspects of mental, physical, spiritual and most notably, emotional well-being. Play therapists generally agree that there are several goals associated with this technique to enhance self-esteem and well-being.

There are seven unique benefits of creative play we would like to highlight here that you might find interesting. We’ve included an interview at the end of our list with a creative play expert to help drive home some of these points.

Are you ready? Let’s take a look!

1. Provides a means to strengthen the ego

Creative play helps to allow children to formulate a better sense of identity through personal discovery. This sense of identity is sparked through the imagination.

2. Provides a cathartic experience

Creative play allows a child’s emotions to be released in healthy ways and helps to prevent immobilization. This working through of feelings promotes self-expression in ways that can increase personal self-esteem.

3. Provides a conduit to promote social skills

Creative play is often interactive in nature, allowing children to be with one another in ways that promote healthy group dynamics and problem solving. These skills can be later called upon in life as part of healthy socialization.

4. Facilitates impulse control

Creative play allows for freedom of expression, rather than repression, through positive behavior. This expression creates a mind body link that satiates curiosity about the world in ways that do not include acting out. Children who may have a diagnosis of ADHD may benefit from this type of play.

5. Offers an avenue to reduce toxic guilt

By engaging in creative play, a child is able to convey inner thoughts of past feelings and behavior associated with the guilt process. Once expressed in healthy ways, this guilt is released and is no longer depressing, affording the child room for feelings of happiness and self-worth.

6. Helps to heal past traumas

Creative play gives children the opportunity to work through past traumas and hurts in meaningful and healthy ways. This type of pretend play can also assist the child integrate the past into the here and now while building inner security and ultimately, resilience.

7. Uncovers hidden gifts

All of us have gifts but few of us are ever able to truly uncover them. Creative play allows for the natural identification and use of gifts, translated into skill building, as part of the imaginative play process. By knowing your child’s gifts, you are better able to nurture them and help them grow.

Creative Play Expert

I spoke to Sarah Lee, owner and Creative Director for Sarah’s Silks – the popular California based company that makes eco-friendly toys and other items that are designed exclusively to promote imaginative play.

What follows is a brief interview that offers expert insight and knowledge on creative play.

Are you ready? Let’s jump right in!

What inspired you to get involved in creative play?

When I was a girl my sister and I played pretend and dress up all the time. When my son was small I wanted to encourage his creative play and found that in the Waldorf schools children are given simple toys so they use their imaginations in play.

Some examples are wooden blocks, wooden play stands, baskets of shells, rocks, and cloth. I saw the teachers had dyed silk squares for the children to use for dress up, fort building and puppet play. I bought some silk and dyed some at home. Soon my son and the neighborhood kids were using them every day. They tied them on as capes, genie pants, skirts, veils, and much more. The green silk became “grass” for their toy animals to eat; the blue silk became “water” to sail boats on. Over time I also dyed giant silks and they built forts, playhouses and tipis.

We believe in “the simpler the better” as children use their imaginations to create the props they need in play.

How does creative play help children build self-esteem?

Playing pretend and make believe helps children develop social skills, empathy, and problem solving. They work together to create scenes, work out issues that may be troubling them, and practice navigating the world.

What has been some of your experiences with imaginative play helping children grow emotionally?

I’ve seen children who has suffered traumas “play out” their experiences. For example my niece was hospitalized and was very sick. As a 4-year-old she did not talk about how hard it was for her so much as use her doll and some sticks to play out getting “shots”. Pretending builds inner resilience and security.

How can parents encourage imaginative play?

Tell them lots of stories, act out favorite stories with them and keep toys at a minimum. Be sure they are simple, beautiful and inspiring. Limit media time so children have a chance to get “bored” so they will begin to imagine and create. I found the more they are allowed to play the better.

Should parents engage boys and girls differently with various forms of imaginative play?

Boys and girls both enjoy playing pretend. My own 3 sons were different. One loved to play with his doll, carry him around (tied on his back with a playsilk), the other two were more interested in fort building and “working”. Ideally children will play together across genders as each child is unique and will bring interesting stories and points of view into the games.

What’s a good first silk toy for parents to start with?

Playsilks are the best. They are open ended, simple, beautiful and can be used to create so many things.

—End of interview—

Final Thoughts

If you have small children, we encourage you to think about creative play as a way of helping your child grow. We are including a book recommendation on this topic entitled: The Power of Play by David Elkind.

The author of this resource helps to illustrate how creative and imaginative play can be effectively encouraged in children to help them reach social and academic success. The importance of creative play is emphasized as part of the developmental process.

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