30. It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's... - open-ended play

I made a post recently on my Instagram about the phenomenon of kids getting really awesome toys and gifts but somehow are always more fascinated with the box that it came in.

What is that all about?!

My second child's favorite toy as a baby was a half-full water bottle. It was in fact the tool that she used to cut her first teeth.

If our kids love to play with trash so much, why do we bother to spend all this time and money on things that have such a short lifespan in our play room? When it comes to a toy's value, there are a couple of factors at play.

We need to know:

What makes a "quality" toy?

Why do our kids loose interest so quickly?

What we can do to extend that lifespan of independent play?

Some people will probably use this opportunity to point a finger at the overuse of technology. The common verbiage is to say, kids' attention spans are being ruined from overstimulating TV and games. To demonize the use of screens doesn't solve problems, it only compounds them.

You don't need to feel ashamed for your kids having tablet-time or watching cartoons. There isn't anything inherently wrong with technology, it's how you use your tools that matters. Choosing a quality program is what matters most.

Same goes for toys!

Huge shout out to Stapelstein for what is, I believe, the best toy on the market today. They sent some of their Classic Elements to the kids last month and we have been getting really good use out of them. You can check them out HERE.

Believe it or not, the criteria for a quality toy is figured down to a science. The Center for Early Childhood Development says that it comes down to 3 characteristics, Simple, Open-ended, and Non-Realistic toys are the best for providing a rich play environment. I believe that there are a few other factors that contribute to high-quality play as well, and Stapelstein hits all the marks.

Quality for me means:

Longevity

I want toys that are designed to last long time. I don't want a toy that will break within the first week or something that they will outgrow quickly. Especially if I'm going to invest money into them. There are a lot of great kids products out there that seem to be a great concept, but the materials are low grade. For a list of our favorite toys you can check out my Amazon Storefront.

*The fear of toys breaking doesn't mean that I keep breakable things away from my kids. One of their favorite play things is this ceramic tea set. They prefer it to a plastic set because it is more valuable. The ceramic set allows for natural consequences to drive gentle and careful play.

Promotes creativity or cognitive development

Fun toys are toys that challenge our kids' growing minds. If a toys doesn't provide a child with an appropriate challenge, they will go looking for a challenge somewhere else. This usually how kids find themselves in trouble. They need to be able to push boundaries and explore the limits of their environment. Give them a "yes space" in the toys you choose for them.

Easy to clean up and put away

I don't want to fight with my kids to keep things organized. If something is not easy to keep tidy, I get lazy too. When I get lazy, my own mess stresses me out. I hate folding bed sheets. I just wad them up and tuck them into a pretty basket to keep them tidy. My famous"Scoop and Dump" method. Stapelstein designed the Elements to stack flawlessly together. Our toy rotation helps to keep other things organized too, but the ease to clean up is another reason I love open-ended toys so much. When each group of toys is rotated out, its so simple. You can scoop the Leggos, action figures, stuffed animals, play dough toys, Magnet tiles, race cars, building blocks, kinetic sand... my list could go on, but you get the idea. Chances are those are some of your kids' favorite things too.

Attractive

I have shared my opinion on things in the past, and if things are going to be laying around my house, I want them to be attractive. Maybe that's just a ME thing, but I am totally onboard with the idea of dopamine decor. If I don't like the things inside my own home, I'm not going to be at peace there, and they will probably end up in the donation pile in the garage.

Ease of use

The toy should be developmentally appropriate for the age of your child. For me that means spanning the ages of 3-10. If I want my kids to play together, the toys have to be appropriate for everyone. Not that they all play with them in the same way, or at the same time but it's an option. Open-ended toys work because there is no "right way" or "wrong way" to use them. When there are no preconceived rules to debate or argue over, all ideas are the right to play. You want to have a boat adventure? Awesome! You want to play restaurant? You got it!

I'm not saying that open-ended toys are the cure for boredom but they definitely will encourage spontaneous creativity.

In the past 24 hours my kids have used their new gift from Stepelstein as a thousand different things. The Classic Elements have been used as spinning chair, pedestals in a game of The Floor is Lava, an oven for their pretend bakery, a cake in the bakery, a helmet for adventurers, drums, an obstacle course, a box-car steering wheel, a bench, a stool, sorters, stackers, counters, twisters. They are seriously my favorite toy on the market today. We have a set of 6 and I wish we had more. These stones give my four kids a great opportunity to practice sharing and imagination. Thank you Stapelstein for bringing this masterpiece toy to the United States!

PREVIOUS NEXT

---