Playtime is a vital developmental process for your children as it can build creativity, confidence, and independence. However, with the advent of screens and tablets, it’s important to try and encourage a balanced type of play for your child. Here are three ways to encourage a heatlhy balance of playtime for your child.
Offer a Variety of Toys
If you give your child a variety of toys to play with, they are less likely to spend too much time on their screens and more likely to use their imagination. Lego pieces, toy figurines, and anything that they can use to create a make-believe world will definitely help to promote healthy playtime. The choice of toys should depend on the age of your child, but there are some toys that are timeless such as miniature cars.
Join in the Play
Another way to get your child to practice some healthy playtime is to join in the fun! This will strengthen your parent-child relationship and allow you to better understand their interests. This is a great opportunity to build some positive memories and to guide them into playing in a way that you think will nurture them.
Establish Unstructured Playtime
If you set up periods of unstructured playtime for your child, they will be able to use their imagination freely and develop their creative skills. You can also encourage them to have periods of playtime without their screens as this will encourage them to appreciate non-screen playtime and to have a more healthy balance.