Supporting Kids Who Build, Then Bounce
Why Your Child’s Play Setup Matters and How to Support It
Does your child spend a lot of time setting up their play, only to lose interest soon after?
They might create an elaborate scene, arrange everything just right, but then suddenly walk away or say, “I don’t know what to play!” This is more common than you might think. For many kids, the joy is in the process of play—the setup, the arrangement, the creation. That’s where their imagination and creativity shine, and these foundational skills are exactly what will serve them as future engineers, designers, builders, artists, and planners.
Supporting Your Child's Play: How to Gently Expand on Their Ideas
Sometimes, kids start with a small idea (like what to build) but aren’t sure where to go next. This is where we can gently step in—not to take over, but to offer support and expand their play.
✨ A Helpful Strategy: Use Visuals to Spark New Play Ideas
After your child sets up their scene—whether it’s a cubby, zoo, city, or shop—try drawing out a few simple play scenarios together. This sparks new ideas and makes play more engaging:
For a cubby: Suggest ideas like having a picnic, reading with a flashlight, or pretending it’s a secret animal cave.
For a shop: Sketch scenarios like a customer shopping, a delivery arriving, or someone ordering something fun.
These visuals turn “I don’t know what to do” into “Oh! I could try that!” It’s a simple yet effective way to spark creativity.
Why This Works:
Encourages Imagination: Offering gentle scaffolding extends their play while boosting creativity.
Improves Language Skills: Expanding play scenarios can help your child practice descriptive language.
Supports Social Skills: If playing with others, this can encourage sharing ideas and turn-taking.
Celebrating the child who finds joy in setting up is a wonderful way to foster creativity, and offering them soft support helps them develop imagination, language skills, attention, and even social skills in a fun, pressure-free way.
About the writer:
Lauren is a speech pathologist who has over 18 years experience working with children and teenagers who present with a range of learning and communication differences. Lauren is passionate about helping others and loves to find simple and creative ways to make learning fun!
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