Think your kids might need to mix a few old fashioned toys and a little imagination into their play? Tired of them playing endless video games, watching hours and hours of television, and spending even less time outdoors?
Why not mix in a few old fashioned toys…things like building sets, dolls and dishes, pedal cars, and other things that don’t require batteries or electricity. Not every toy has to have flashing lights, annoying noises, or any one of a hundred other electronic features for kids like playing with them.
Some of the most simple, old fashioned toys encourage the most imagination and inspire your children to learn while they play, just as they did when you were a kid.
One of the best “old fashioned” activities your child will ever develop is a love of reading. You can encourage this by providing plenty of books, covering a variety of topics. From fiction to non-fiction, poetry, and even biographies (who can forget the little biographical books about historical characters we all checked out from the library as children?), gather age appropriate books, and read them together! In fact, make an outing of going to the library, choosing books and bringing them home to read…get your child excited about reading, and you will help your child to become a “reader” for his or her entire life.
Playing “dress up” is yet another way to encourage your child’s imagination, and even though little girls dressing up like princesses is what immediately comes to mind, playing “dress up” is actually a non-gender specific activity that all children can enjoy! Old Halloween costumes, occupational accessories (think doctor’s or nurse’s play medical kits, fireman’s boots and hats, police uniforms and accessories, etc.), an old prom dress or tuxedo, a business suit or two…basically anything that will get your child’s imagination going! Your children and their friends will spend hours acting like their favorite television and movie characters, creating and performing “plays” for you, and practicing to be grownups.
Paper dolls and hand puppets encourage your child’s language and social development, and like other old fashioned toys, they tend to stir your child’s imagination. And, paper dolls are inexpensive, or you can even make them yourself with a template, cardstock, and your computer. (Your child can then create their own paper doll clothing and accessories by tracing the doll shape and drawing/coloring the clothing themselves.)
Puppets are another old fashioned toy that is still very popular today, and now comes in more modern characters, such as your child’s favorite cartoon or movie characters, modern family puppets (including different ethnic groups), and more. If money is a problem, most kids still love making their own puppets, too. Simple stick families (made from craft sticks), sock puppets, and even brown paper bag puppets are lots of fun and really easy to make.
Musical instruments, too, are an old fashioned toy that children not only love, but that has seen modern updates including the addition of microphones, electronic sounds, and recording features with many of the newer instruments. However, the more traditional musical instruments, such as kazoos, xylophones, and even little drums are just as much fun as the modern versions (and they’re typically a lot less expensive, too).
You can also turn the creation of musical instruments into a fun activity for your child by allowing them to make their own using a few basic household supplies.
- Fill a small container with rice or beans to make a maracas.
- Hammer nails across a small wooden block, string with rubber bands, and your child has a “guitar.”
Get creative! You can make musical instruments and music from just about anything if you really use your imagination.
These are just a few of the old fashioned toys that you can mix into your child’s play to encourage imaginative, creative activities that can help you get your child off the couch, away from the television, game console or computer, and into the habit of moving, learning, and exploring the world around them!